FIVE THINGS ABOUT BABIES & TOUCHSCREENS

1 WAKEY, WAKEY

Babies’ sleep and subsequent brain development may be being harmed by the use of touchscreen devices, research suggests. A British study found that every hour infants spent on the devices was linked to 16 minutes less sleep per day.

2 TOO MUCH TOUCHING?

The research, on more than 700 families, found that some toddlers aged 12 to 18 months were spending as much as five hours a day on touchscreen devices. Average screen time was less than nine minutes for babies aged six to 11 months, rising to 44 minutes for those aged 26 to 36 months.

3 BRAIN STRAIN

Researchers at Birkbeck, University of London and King’s College London found that babies and toddlers who spent more time using a touchscreen slept less at night and, despite sleeping more during the day, slept for less time overall. Sleep is important for the development of the brain, especially during the first few years of life.

4 FEELING THE BLUES

The study could not prove a causal link between use of the devices and shortened sleep. But researchers said there were four potential mechanisms: The impact of blue light, which can affect the body clock; the stimulation caused by the content of the games; infants and toddlers might be staying up later on devices; and children who played longer on gadgets might be more likely to suffer from other conditions such as hyperactivity.

5 LET’S MOTOR

Previous research by the same team has found that babies and toddlers who used iPads had superior motor skills. Dr. Tim Smith of Birkbeck said: “There is so much cognitive development going on at that stage that it’s possible any influence would have an amplifying effect.”