One in ten babies fall asleep with a screen, yet 85% of parents received no screen time advice from GPs, midwives or health visitors, according to research by the 1001 Critical Days Foundation.
To combat this, the government has issued guidance for parents, which includes:
- Under 2s: Avoiding screen time other than for shared activities that encourage bonding, interaction and conversation.
- 2 to 5-year-olds: Trying to keep it to no more than one hour a day. Avoid at mealtimes and in the hour before bed.
- Content: Choosing slow-paced, age-appropriate content. Fast-paced, social media-style videos and AI toys or tools should be avoided for young children.
- Co-viewing: Watching or using screens together (talking, asking questions and engaging with the content) is better for children’s development than solo screen use.
We discussed the research and the government’s work to support parents as the foundation celebrated its first birthday recently.
Screen time can lead to developmental delay and the review found an association between high levels of screen use and behaviours sometimes observed in autistic children. There’s also evidence that it can damage the optic nerve as it develops.
Research like this is powerful and it’s vital to ensure we all make the changes needed to ensure every baby grows up healthy and safe, which is something I’m championing in my role as chair of the Babies All-Party Parliamentary Group.
You can read the guidance by visiting the Best Start in Life website.
