Screens for infants and preschool children: Assessment of medical prevention with parents and assessment of exposure

Abstract

Background: Regarding the massive increase of interactive mobile screen household equipment and the omnipresence of television, many recommendations are in favor of a limitation of use, especially among the youngest.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the proportion of parents who report having discussed the subject of their child's exposure to screens during a consultation with a health professional. We also aimed to assess preschool exposure to television and mobile media devices, and to explore parents' views on the benefits and risks of exposing their children under 3 years old.

Methods: A questionnaire was administered to parents of children aged 6 months to 3 years in a pediatric emergency ward and several nurseries. This observational, cross-sectional and multicenter study was conducted from January to May 2019.

Results: We included 451 responses in the analyses. Only 99 (22.7%; 95% CI: 18.7-26.6) parents reported having discussed their child's exposure to screens with a doctor, on the initiative of the parents themselves for 52 households (53.1%; 95% CI: 43.2-62.9). Feelings of a benefit of screens on child learning concerned 134 (34.5%; 95% CI: 29.8-39.3) parents; 300 (68.5%; 95% CI: 64.1-72.8) said they were sufficiently informed about benefits and risks. In a typical week, 240 (53.7%; 95% CI: 49.1-58.3), 160 (35.8%; 95% CI: 31.3-40.2), and 58 (13.0%; 95% CI: 9.9-16.1) children were exposed at least once a week to television, smartphones, and tablets, respectively.

Conclusions: Our study showed that the theme of exposure to screens was hardly addressed by physicians in consultation. Our findings help target prevention messages, including fighting the widespread belief that media are beneficial to child development, emphasizing the importance of screen-free time (eating, going to bed, after waking up) and encouraging support and interaction during exposure in families who choose to expose their children.

Keywords: Infant; Media; Preschool children; Primary prevention; Screen time; Television.