Don't let your baby watch too much TV, say Japanese experts

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 09 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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The Japan Pediatric Association on Friday urged parents and doctors to keep children, specially those aged less than 2, away from television as much as possible after research findings showed watching too much television impaired children's ability to develop interpersonal relationships.

The association issued five recommendations regarding children and television, and is to distribute posters warning of the danger to 7,000 private practitioners. It also will warn parents of the danger.

The growing tendency for parents to use television as a baby-sitter has increased infants' exposure to the medium. In addition, videos and video games keep the nation's children glued to the TV.

The association and Kodomo to Media, a nonprofit organization studying children and media, conducted a survey involving 1,100 babies in Fukuoka between September and October 2002.

According to the findings of the survey, 96.6 percent of the babies raised in homes where the television was on for more than 10 hours a day tended to avert their eyes when eye contact was made with them.

In comparison, in households where the TV was on for three hours or less daily, only 37.5 percent did.

According to the organization, this demonstrates that the ability to build personal relationships decreases in direct relation to the amount of television watched.

Slower language acquisition also was noted among babies who sat in front of TV sets for extended periods.

Daily Yomiuri Online
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/main/main-e.htm