Many young kids have TV in bedroom

CHICAGO — One-fifth of infants and toddlers under age 2 have a television in their bedrooms, according to a new study that suggests saturation with media could affect brain development as more shows start to target America's youngest children.

The telephone survey, among the first in-depth looks at the viewing habits of very young children, indicates that many parents have ignored or are unaware of pediatric guidelines recommending limits on kids' TV time.

In addition to the youngest group, 43 percent of 3- to 4-year-olds have TVs in their rooms, potentially setting up an unhealthful habit, the authors wrote.

Previous studies have found that bedroom TVs are linked with childhood obesity, inactivity and low scores on reading and math tests. Research also suggests that extensive viewing before age 3 may cause attention problems later on.

The children's viewing practices reflected their parents' often guilty reliance on TV, said authors of the study, to be published today in the journal Pediatrics. Asked why they put TVs in their children's bedrooms, most parents said it was so they and other family members could watch their own shows.

"A lot of these parents are kind of checking out," said study co-author Elizabeth Vandewater, a professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. "It's not really neglect; it's more like absentee parenting."

Although the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages any TV viewing during the first two years of life, some researchers believe that's an unrealistic goal. Nearly 70 percent of children in that age group watch some television, according to the new study.

Widespread marketing claims about the value of programming for toddlers and infants may play a role, experts said. The number of shows aimed at babies has exploded in the past decade, with video titles such as "Brainy Baby" and "Baby Einstein" joined last year by BabyFirstTV, billed as the first satellite channel catering to infants. Makers of the shows often bill them as educational aids, though researchers say there is no solid evidence to back such claims.

The landscape has shifted dramatically since 1961, when experts say most children did not watch TV until they were nearly 3 years old. Now, studies suggest that children start watching TV or videos by the time they're 9 months old, on average.

"There's a real historical change going on, and we're in the middle of it," said Daniel Anderson, a professor of psychology who specializes in children and television at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

The news for parents isn't all bad. The new study found that children ages 3 to 6 watched TV for less than the recommended limit of two hours a day — though some experts doubted that figure because it's based solely on parents' reports.

Not all viewing time is equal, researchers said. Parents who watch TV with their children or toddlers have more chance to talk about what the kids are seeing, although studies have shown that parents respond to kids less when the TV is on.