Babies and toddlers exposed to television or video viewing may be more likely to exhibit atypical sensory behaviours, such as being disengaged and disinterested in activities, seeking more intense stimulation in an environment, or being overwhelmed by sensations like loud sounds or bright lights, says researchers at Drexel’s College of Medicine published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
According to the researchers, children exposed to greater TV viewing by their second birthday were more likely to develop atypical sensory processing behaviors, such as “sensation seeking” and “sensation avoiding,” as well as “low registration” — being less sensitive or slower to respond to stimuli, such as their name being called, by 33 months old.
Sensory processing skills reflect the body’s ability to respond efficiently and appropriately to information and stimuli received by its sensory systems, such as what the toddler hears, sees, touches, and tastes.
The team pulled 2011-2014 data on television or DVD-watching by babies and toddlers at 12- 18- and 24-months from the National Children’s Study of 1,471 children (50% male) nationwide.
Sensory processing outcomes were assessed at 33 months using the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP), a questionnaire completed by parents/caregivers, designed to give insights on how children process what they see, hear and smell, etc.
ITSP subscales examine children’s patterns of low registration, sensation seeking, such as excessively touching or smelling objects; sensory sensitivity, such as being overly upset or irritated by lights and noise; and sensation avoiding — actively trying to control their environment to avoid things like having their teeth brushed. Children score in “typical,” “high” or “low” groups based on how often they display various sensory-related behaviors. Scores were considered “typical” if they were within one standard deviation from the average of the ITSP norm.
The findings revealed that at 12 months, any screen exposure compared to no screen viewing was associated with a 105% greater likelihood of exhibiting “high” sensory behaviors instead of “typical” sensory behaviors related to low registration at 33 months
At 18 months, each additional hour of daily screen time was associated with 23% increased odds of exhibiting “high” sensory behaviors related to later sensation avoiding and low registration.
At 24 months, each additional hour of daily screen time was associated with a 20% increased odds of “high” sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding at 33 months.
The findings add to a growing list of concerning health and developmental outcomes linked to screen time in infants and toddlers, including language delay, autism spectrum disorder, behavioral issues, sleep struggles, attention problems and problem-solving delays.
“This association could have important implications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, as atypical sensory processing is much more prevalent in these populations,” said lead author Karen Heffler, MD, an associate professor of Psychiatry in Drexel’s College of Medicine. “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 authors said future research is needed to better understand the mechanisms that drive the association between early-life screen time and atypical sensory processing.