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By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) – A new study suggests that children over the age of five who spend more than two hours a day in front of their smartphone or tablet are at risk of attention problems.
Excessive "screen time" in children has been the subject of much research – especially now that even the youngest children are watching their phones and iPads on a daily basis.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents set screen time limits for preschoolers: no more than an hour a day for children 2 to 5 years old . This is partly to ensure that they have plenty of gaming time "unplugged".
In the new study, researchers found that when young children greatly exceeded these limits, they were much more likely to be at risk of attention.
Compared to their classmates who do not spend more than half an hour in front of a screen each day, 5-year-olds who spent more than two hours were six times more likely to have problems than adults. 39, clinically significant attention.
And they were nearly eight times more likely to present with signs and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The results do not prove that blaming is to blame, acknowledged lead researcher Dr. Piush Mandhane, associate professor at the University of Alberta in Canada.
But two hours and more screen time per day is clearly excessive, said Mandhane. "And it's something parents can do something about," he said.
Preschoolers should be ready to move, said Mandhane. His team found that youth who regularly had "organized" physical activity had a lower risk of attention problems.
Given the ubiquity of mobile devices – and the interest of younger kids for them – it's never too early to develop a screen time plan for your kids. " said Mandhane.
"And less is better," he added.
It is true that the limitations of the screen make sense and that young children should be physically active, said Yamalis Diaz, clinical assistant professor of child psychiatry at NYU Langone Health in New York.
"Nobody disputes the need for kids to be active," said Diaz, who did not participate in the study. "I tell parents, the time spent in front of the screen flies in real time."
Continued
However, she warned, this study does not allow to determine the screens as the person in charge of the problems of attention of the children. It is possible that these children "clash" with their parents for many things – and parents give up or give a phone to avoid a breakup.
"It may be children who have trouble accepting limits in general," said Diaz.
There is also the question of how much time their parents devoted to the devices. Some kids, noted Diaz, have learned that the best way to get mom and dad to look up from their phone is to behave badly.
In the current state of things, she added, "we are still waiting for research to show if [screen time] has special effects on children's brain development ".
The results were published online on April 17 in the journal PLOS ONE. They are based on more than 2,300 Canadian families participating in a long-term health study.
Parents reported that their children typically used the screen (television, computers, tablets, game consoles and smartphones) at ages 3 and 5. At age 5, parents completed a standard questionnaire on children's behavior.
Overall, the frequent use of screening at the age of 5 was associated with higher risks of attention and behavior problems compatible with ADHD. That's right, said Mandhane, even when factors such as family income and parental stress levels were taken into account.
Why would the time spent in front of a screen affect the ability of children to pay attention? Mandhane explained that one of the possible solutions was to substitute for other activities, such as exercise and sleep.
Organized physical activity is important for building attention skills, said Diaz. "There is a real peer-to-peer interaction," she said. "They have to listen to an adult and they learn new things, like fine motor skills."
Adequate sleep is also essential, said Diaz. "Even in adulthood, we see it," she noted. "If we are deprived of sleep, we are distraught and it is difficult to pay attention."
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