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To the Editor: The use of digital media has increased exponentially in recent years, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic [1]. In this era of working parents, exposing kids to media is now considered the norm and part of parenting. Children under the age of 5 y are the most vulnerable population since these are the critical years for overall development of a child. Increased screentime during these critical years of development leads to adverse neurocognitive outcomes and speech delay [2]. The current study aimed to determine the association between screen time and speech delay in preschool-aged children in Tamil Nadu, India. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 150 children (112 boys & 38 girls) with a mean age of 34.30 mo (+/- 15.31 mo). A formal and informal speech and language evaluation was done and children with any sensory, structural, genetic and neurological impairments were excluded. An Indian-based tool – Assessment of Language Development (ALD) [3] was used during evaluation. Pearson Chi-square was carried out to the data set and results revealed significant association (X2= 22.253; p = 0.00) between screentime and speech delay. The study found that children who had an average screen time of 6-8 h per day were more likely to have a history of speech delay and be diagnosed with Spoken Language Disorder. There was no significant association between screen time and modes of communication (verbal/non-verbal), however, a noticeable number of children with increased screen time had other primary modes of communication (pointing/gestural) than verbal. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (2016) recommends that screen time should be limited to less than 1 h per day for children aged between 2 to 5 y [4]. Supervised screen time is also recommended to monitor the type of content (educational/entertainment) and the duration of exposure. Parents should be mindful of their children's screen time and limit it to the recommended amount.
References
Bergmann C, Dimitrova N, Alaslani K, et al. Young children’s screen time during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 12 countries. Sci Rep. 2022;12:2015.
Zimmerman FJ, Christakis DA. Children’s television viewing and cognitive outcomes: A longitudinal analysis of national data. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:619–25.
Lakkanna S, Venkatesh K, Bhat JS. Assessment of Language Development. Bakersfield, CA: Omni Therapy Services; 2008.
Council on Communications and Media. Media and young minds. Pediatrics. 2016;138:e20162591.
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Kesavelu, D., V, P. Association of Screentime and Speech Delay among Pre-School Age Children – An Exploratory Study. Indian J Pediatr 90, 1260 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-023-04770-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-023-04770-y