Impact Of High Daily Screen Time In Preterm Born Children

Children born before the 28th week of pregnancy with more than two hours of screen time a day are likely to have deficits in overall IQ, executive functioning (problem solving skills), impulse control and attention, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings of the study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggest that high amounts of screen time can aggravate the cognitive deficits and behavioral problems common to children born extremely preterm.

Previous studies have linked that high amount of screen time among children born full-term to language and developmental, behavioral and other problems.

In the current study, researchers analyzed data from a study of children born at 28 weeks or earlier. Of 414 children, 238 had more than two hours of screen time per day and 266 had a television or computer in their bedrooms.

Comparing children with less screen time per day to those with high amounts of screen time scored an average deficit of nearly 8 points on global executive function percentile scores, roughly 0.8 points lower on impulse control (inhibition) and more than 3 points higher on inattention.

Children with a television or computer in their bedrooms also scored lower on measures of inhibition, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

These findings can support the need for physicians to discuss the potential effects of screen time with families of children born extremely preterm.

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Source-Medindia