Tip of the Month

Is Watching TV Is Bad For Babies' Brains?

Have you ever used television as a babysitter? Sure, you wouldn't leave your kids in front of the TV and go out for a night on the town. But, the TV is often used to occupy the young ones while you answer the phone, make dinner or just take a little break.

Well, new research suggests the TV may be a very poor parenting helper. Here is why: According to U.S. News & World Report, December 7, 2010, "Babies who watch TV are more likely to have delayed cognitive development and language at 14 months, especially if they're watching programs intended for adults and older children. Babies who watched 60 minutes of TV daily had developmental scores one-third lower at 14 months than babies who weren't watching that much TV. Though their developmental scores were still in the normal range, the discrepancy may be due to the fact that when kids and parents are watching TV, they're missing out on talking, playing, and interactions that are essential to learning and development."

These results appeared in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The U.S. News & World Report also said that researchers did not find any positives or negatives to watching educational TV shows designed for young children like Sesame Street. But researchers did note that the parents of children watching TV most likely spend less time reading to and teaching their children.

And here's something important: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies under age 2 watch no TV at all.

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