Watch with mother…
Many babies who are exposed to TV have fewer verbal interactions with their mothers, according to a new study led by Alan L. Mendelsohn, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Clinical Research for the divisions of General and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine.
The study, published in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, is the first to assess parent-infant interactions as they relate to specific media content. When the programming was educational and moms and their babies watched it together, interactions increased. However, the study showed that educational programming did not promote co-viewing, which is a factor that contributes to verbal interactions.
“Our conclusions are especially significant because parent-infant interactions have huge ramifications for early child development, as well as school advancement and success during adolescence,” says Dr Mendelsohn.
Because of its findings, the new study supports the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that TV should be off limits to children under the age of 2. Earlier data on this topic includes a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation which said that 61% of children younger than 2 are exposed to TV on a daily basis. In the new study, 97% of moms with 6 month olds reported their infants were exposed to TV or video for around two hours a day.
The new study’s findings also have implications for health care providers who work with parents of young children, many of whom are exposed to TV and videos, says Dr Mendelsohn. The study advises that providers take good media histories. When infant TV viewing is likely to continue, the study advises that parents expose their babies only to educational programming, that mom or dad watch too, and that plenty of time is reserved for playing and reading aloud.
Dr Mendelsohn also underscores the critical importance of the study’s findings that the use of educational programming alone did not promote co-viewing, which is a factor in mother-infant interactions. “Our concern is that parents may still perceive educational programming as enough of a reason to park their infants in front of the TV, instead of watching with them and interacting with them,” says Dr Mendelsohn. “Passive viewing doesn’t lead to interaction between baby and mother.”