WHO: Do not expose babies to electronic screens



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Babies under the age of one should not be exposed to electronic screens, announced Wednesday the World Health Organization (WHO).


In publishing its first such guidelines, the UN health agency said older children, aged two to four, should be limited to one hour per day of sedentary projection.

The guidelines also covered sleep and exercise. Among the conclusions were that:

  • Infants under 1 year of age should interact for at least an hour each day in ground games – or "belly time" – and avoid all screens.
  • Children aged one to four should spend at least three hours in various physical activities throughout the day, without spending more than an hour on the screen.
  • Children should not be strapped into a pram or high chair, nor tied to someone's back, more than one hour at a time.

The WHO said that children under five should be physically active and sleep well, which would establish healthy habits throughout adolescence and up to the age of Adulthood.

"Healthy physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep patterns are established early in life, which helps shape habits during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood "said the WHO in its guidelines.

The time spent in front of a sedentary screen is watching television or videos and playing computer games.

Being inactive is a "leading risk factor" for mortality and is fueling a worldwide increase in overweight and obesity, the agency said. Excess overweight can lead to diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and some types of cancer.

In a 2017 report, the WHO said that the number of obese children and adolescents in the world had increased tenfold, rising to 120 million over the past 40 years. He added that the rise was accelerating in low and middle income countries, particularly in Asia.

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