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WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) – If you're worried about too much screen time weighing on your child's information, new research suggests you may be right.
The study found that children with the sharpest intellects spent less than two hours a day on their cell phones, tablets and computers, as well as 9 to 11 hours of sleep and at least an hour of activity physical.
Unfortunately, very few American children have met these three daily goals, said lead researcher Jeremy Walsh, a postdoctoral fellow at the CHEO Research Institute in Ottawa, Canada.
"Only 5% of our sample met the three guidelines," said Walsh.
About 41% met one of the guidelines and 25% met two, he said.
"This means that 30% of our sample did not follow any of the guidelines, which I think is a very important statistic to focus on," said Walsh.
The study is based on data collected from more than 4,500 US children aged 8 to 11 between September 2016 and September 2017 as part of a new 10-year federal government-funded development study. brain and infant health.
Walsh and her colleagues used the data to see if children are limiting their screen time while sleeping and exercising enough, according to Canadian guidelines published in 2016.
Half of the children received the recommended 9 to 11 hours of sleep, 37% less than two hours and 18% of an hour or more of exercises. On average, children in the study spent 3.6 hours per day on screen time.
The study could not prove the cause and effect, but the more the child receives individual recommendations, the greater his ability to think and reason is great. That's what the researchers discovered when they compared the therapeutic observance to the performances on the brain exercises ("cognition").
"For every additional recommendation, children had better cognition than those who did not follow any of the guidelines," said Walsh.
The results showed that children who adhered to sleep guidelines and screen time seemed to have the best information
Too much time on the screen can affect children's ability to focus, especially if they move from one application to another or from one screen to another, suggested Walsh.
"One of the main assumptions is that a lot of time spent on screens is spent on multitasking, using multiple applications or devices at once," Walsh said. "This can interfere with the child's ability to focus and maintain interest in a task.This can also harm the building blocks of good cognition."
Sleep is also extremely important for brain development because it is at this point that the brain reorganizes and develops, Walsh added. Exercise has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain and oxygenate brain tissue and increase network connectivity in the brain.
Too much time spent on the screen can result in a "waterfall" effect where children do not sleep enough and are less active during the day.
"You can see how this could impact brain health," said Walsh.
The results were published online on September 26 at The Lancet: Child and adolescent health newspaper.
According to Dr. Shawna Newman, a treating psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, the study "clearly demonstrates the specific benefit of exercise for children, in addition to sleep hygiene and limited time spent in front of the cognitive system. development. "Newman did not participate in the new study.
"The article provides an understanding of how exercise is essential for pediatric brain development, and the potentially deleterious effects of reduced sleep and increased time spent in the classroom." screen for cognition, "said Newman.
What should parents do? Walsh advises to set strict rules regarding the use of screens, including the duration of use of screens by children, the type of applications they use and the number of times they are used. screens that they use simultaneously.
Concerned parents should also preview games or apps before letting their child play, look for more interactive options that engage the child's mind, and use parental controls to block or filter content and limit time. d & # 39; screen.
More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics has more information on time spent in front of a screen and kids.
SOURCES: Jeremy Walsh, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; Shawna Newman, MD, attending psychiatrist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York; September 26, 2018, The Lancet: Child and adolescent healthonline
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