PROVIDENCE – Children who were born two months or more prematurely, and who are allowed high amounts of screen time, are at a serious risk for cognitive and behavior problems once they enter school, according to a new study by a Women & Infants Hospital pediatrician.
Dr. Betty Vohr, lead author of the report, found evidence of IQ deficits and difficulty with problem-solving, impulse control and paying attention in kids who were born before the 28th week of pregnancy who spend more than two hours daily watching TV or using other electronic devices.
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Among the group of 400 6- and 7-year-olds that Vohr analyzed, children who had a TV or computer in their bedroom were also more likely to struggle with impulse control and paying attention.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health and published July 12 in JAMA Pediatrics, the study can be found here.
Dr. Liz McGowan, also of Women & Infants Hospital, is a co-author, while other experts at the hospital also contributed.
“The findings suggest that high amounts of screen time may exacerbate the cognitive deficits and behavioral problems common to children born extremely preterm,” according to a news release from Women & Infants.
Vohr, who is medical director of the follow-up clinic program in the Pediatrics Department at Women & Infants and a professor of pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, found that of the 414 children involved in the study, 238 had more than two hours of daily screen time.
In addition, 266 had a TV or computer in their bedrooms.
“Compared to children with less screen time per day, in adjusted analyses, those with high screen time scored an average of nearly eight points higher on global executive function percentile scores, roughly 0.8 points lower on impulse control (inhibition) and more than three points higher on inattention,” the release states.
While the study offers the first published evidence on the effects of screen time on kids born very early, Vohr notes that earlier studies have found links between excessive screen time and developmental and behavior problems in children who were born full-term.
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN contributing writer.
