New research published in JAMA Pediatrics has found a troubling association between early exposure to screens and sensory processing challenges in children. The study, one of the first of its kind, suggests that excessive exposure to digital media in the formative years might influence how children perceive and respond to their surroundings.
In recent years, with the advent of various digital devices, young children are increasingly exposed to screens at an early age. This is a significant shift from past generations and has raised concerns among researchers and healthcare professionals about its potential impact on child development.
Sensory processing is crucial as it involves the integration of sensory information (like sight, sound, touch) by the brain to form appropriate responses. Proper sensory processing is vital for everyday functioning and well-being. There are concerns that excessive screen time might adversely affect this process.
Moreover, studies in neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience – indicate that changes in sensory experiences can lead to alterations in brain connectivity. These changes might influence behavior, potentially leading to maladaptive behaviors.
To investigate these concerns, lead author Karen Heffler (an associate professor of Psychiatry in Drexel’s College of Medicine) and her colleagues utilized data from the National Children’s Study, which was designed to evaluate the effects of environmental factors on child health and development in the United States.
Participants in this study were enrolled at birth and observed between 2011 and 2014. For the current analysis, researchers focused on children whose caregivers had completed the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile, a validated tool to assess sensory processing in young children. This resulted in a sample size of 1,471 children, with an almost equal gender distribution.
The Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile measures how children respond to sensory experiences in their environment, categorizing their responses into four primary patterns based on a well-established model of sensory processing. These patterns include low registration (not noticing sensory stimuli), sensation seeking (actively seeking sensory stimuli), sensory sensitivity (being easily irritated by sensory stimuli), and sensation avoiding (actively avoiding sensory stimuli).
Researchers measured screen exposure using caregiver-reported data at three key developmental stages: 12, 18, and 24 months of age. When the children were 12 months old, caregivers were asked a simple yes-or-no question about whether their child watched TV or DVDs. As the children grew older, at 18 and 24 months, the questions became more detailed. Caregivers were asked to estimate the average number of hours per day their child spent watching TV and/or DVDs over the past 30 days.
They analyzed the data using multinomial regression analyses, adjusting for a range of factors including child age, birth prematurity, household income, and caregiver education. The aim was to unravel the relationship between screen exposure and sensory processing outcomes.
The findings revealed some striking associations. For instance, children who watched television or videos at 12 months had twice the risk of being in the high category for low registration compared with those who did not. As the children aged, greater screen exposure at 18 months was linked to more frequent low registration and sensation avoiding, a pattern where children actively try to limit sensory exposure. By 24 months, higher screen time was linked to more frequent sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding behaviors.
These results are significant as they add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that early screen exposure could have developmental implications. Sensory processing plays a crucial role in children’s learning and daily functioning. Atypical sensory processing is notably prevalent in developmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The study’s findings imply that excessive screen time might exacerbate or contribute to these sensory processing challenges.
“This association could have important implications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, as atypical sensory processing is much more prevalent in these populations,” Heffler said in a news release. “Repetitive behavior, such as that seen in autism spectrum disorder, is highly correlated with atypical sensory processing. Future work may determine whether early life screen time could fuel the sensory brain hyperconnectivity seen in autism spectrum disorders, such as heightened brain responses to sensory stimulation.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against screen time for babies under 18-24 months, except for live video chats, which might offer interactional benefits. For children aged 2 to 5, the recommendation is to limit screen time to no more than one hour per day. Despite these guidelines, a 2019 research letter in JAMA Pediatrics revealed a startling trend: as of 2014, U.S. children aged 2 and under were averaging 3 hours and 3 minutes a day of screen time, a significant increase from the 1 hour and 19 minutes average in 1997.
“Parent training and education are key to minimizing, or hopefully even avoiding, screen time in children younger than two years,” said senior author David Bennett, a professor of Psychiatry in Drexel’s College of Medicine.
However, the new study does have its limitations. One key constraint is its observational nature, which means it can indicate associations but not establish causality. This means that while there is a connection between screen time and sensory processing issues, we cannot conclusively say that one causes the other. Additionally, the reliance on caregiver reports for screen exposure and sensory processing measures might introduce biases. Caregivers’ perceptions and recollections could affect the accuracy of the data.
Another limitation is the potential for selection bias, as the study only included children whose parents completed the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile. Furthermore, the assessments of screen exposure were based on single-item caregiver reports, which might not fully capture the depth and nuances of children’s screen exposure. Future research is necessary to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms driving the association between early-life screen time and atypical sensory processing.
“This study is unique in prospectively finding early-life digital media exposure to be associated with later atypical sensory processing across multiple sensory domains. These findings are particularly important, as behavioral and developmental problems which can be challenging for young children and their families are significantly associated with children’s sensory profiles,” the researchers concluded.
The study, “Early-Life Digital Media Experiences and Development of Atypical Sensory Processing“, was authored by Karen Frankel Heffler, Binod Acharya, Keshab Subedi, and David S. Bennett.
