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GENEVA – Children aged two to four should not be allowed more than one hour of "time spent in front of a sedentary screen" per day and babies under one year of age should not be at all be exposed to electronic screens, said Wednesday the World Health Organization (WHO).
The UN agency, which has issued its first such guidelines, said that children under five should also be physically active and get enough sleep to develop healthy habits and prevent cancer. obesity and other diseases later in life.
Time spent in front of a sedentary screen would include watching television or videos and playing computer games.
"Healthy physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep patterns are established early in life, which can change habits throughout childhood, from adolescence, and up to # 1. 39 in adulthood, "said WHO in its guidelines.
Children aged one to four should spend at least three hours on various physical activities throughout the day, he said. Infants under one year old should interact in ground games and avoid all screens, he said.
Being inactive is a "major risk factor" for mortality and is fueling the global rise in overweight and obesity, the WHO said.
In a report published two years ago, the WHO declared that the number of obese children and adolescents in the world had increased tenfold to 120 million in the last 40 years, and this increase is accelerating in low and middle income countries, particularly in Asia.
Excessive weight can lead to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and some forms of cancer, he said.
ACTIVE REST
Early childhood is a period of rapid physical and cognitive development in which habits and adaptable family life habits are developed, according to the guide, drawn from hundreds of research, including Australian, Canadian, South African and American.
"Sedentary behaviors, whether it's motorized transportation rather than walking or cycling, to sit at a desk at school, watch TV or play games." Inactive on-screen games are becoming more prevalent and associated with poorer health outcomes, "said WHO.
Chronic sleep deprivation in children has been associated with excessive excessive fat accumulation as measured by body mass index (BMI), he said.
A shorter sleep time has been associated with greater television viewing and time spent playing computer games, he added.
"Improving physical activity, sedentary behaviors and sleep schedules of young children will contribute to their physical health, reduce the risk of childhood obesity and associated noncommunicable diseases later and improve mental health." and well-being "Who said.
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