Experts caution parents against exposing infants to screens
Bhubaneswar: Last Aug, a couple visited city-based clinical psychologist Monisha Patnaik with their 18-month-old kid, who does not eat without watching cartoons or other videos on cellphone.
“The father is busy in his job and mother in household chores. Whenever the mother is working, she gives the mobile phone to the kid who watches cartoons or other videos. It has become an addiction for the kid,” said Patnaik, adding the infant’s speech and other cognitive development got affected due to this.
Experts have cautioned parents against exposing infants to screens too early after a recent AIIMS-Delhi study suggested that higher screen time among children below one year of age could be linked to increased autism-related concerns.
Doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists emphasised that early brain development depends on human interaction and play, urging caregivers to limit mobile phone and TV use, and follow age-appropriate guidelines to ensure healthy cognitive and social growth during early childhood years.
Sardar Vallavbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics, Cuttack, superintendent Dr Pravakar Mishra said autism cases are increasing over the decades. “I always advise parents not to allow their kids to watch mobile phones till they are at least six years of age. Then parents can control the screen time as per requirement,” he says, adding that watching mobile phone, TV or laptop from a close distance can damage eyesight too.
“Parents and family members should also reduce their screen time and talk or play with their kids. If we increase screen time of the kids, they get lost in the digital world and do not speak much. Their communication becomes poor. Their sleep time gets disturbed and they get irritated for no reason. There is a chance that the kids may get autism,” he says.
Patnaik said the parents or other members of the family should play or have conversation with the kid, so that the child can learn to speak and do other activities. “We are trying to improve the condition of the kid. I can relate with the AIIMS-Delhi study,” she said.
Amrit Pattajoshi, a city-based child psychiatrist, said social interaction of the little ones is getting drastically reduced due to the mobile phone addiction. They take time to speak and understand things, he added.
“The father is busy in his job and mother in household chores. Whenever the mother is working, she gives the mobile phone to the kid who watches cartoons or other videos. It has become an addiction for the kid,” said Patnaik, adding the infant’s speech and other cognitive development got affected due to this.
Experts have cautioned parents against exposing infants to screens too early after a recent AIIMS-Delhi study suggested that higher screen time among children below one year of age could be linked to increased autism-related concerns.
Doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists emphasised that early brain development depends on human interaction and play, urging caregivers to limit mobile phone and TV use, and follow age-appropriate guidelines to ensure healthy cognitive and social growth during early childhood years.
Sardar Vallavbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics, Cuttack, superintendent Dr Pravakar Mishra said autism cases are increasing over the decades. “I always advise parents not to allow their kids to watch mobile phones till they are at least six years of age. Then parents can control the screen time as per requirement,” he says, adding that watching mobile phone, TV or laptop from a close distance can damage eyesight too.
“Parents and family members should also reduce their screen time and talk or play with their kids. If we increase screen time of the kids, they get lost in the digital world and do not speak much. Their communication becomes poor. Their sleep time gets disturbed and they get irritated for no reason. There is a chance that the kids may get autism,” he says.
Patnaik said the parents or other members of the family should play or have conversation with the kid, so that the child can learn to speak and do other activities. “We are trying to improve the condition of the kid. I can relate with the AIIMS-Delhi study,” she said.
Amrit Pattajoshi, a city-based child psychiatrist, said social interaction of the little ones is getting drastically reduced due to the mobile phone addiction. They take time to speak and understand things, he added.
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