Will TV Time Make My Baby Smarter?

Tuning in: How does this effect baby’s intellectual growth?

Many parents believe that quality television is good for their baby’s brain.  According to research at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, media exposure jumps from 3 months of age 40 percent of infants are regular viewers to 90 percent of all two year olds.  While it may be true that quality television viewing (educational shows) help school-age children learn, will TV time make your baby smarter?

A study of TV habits from birth to age 2 found that watching the boob tube did not improve baby’s language and visual motor skills , no matter how good the programming.  What made the most difference in accelerated learning were the mother’s age, education and household income.  This was a predictable finding because older moms and those with more means and schooling tend to interact more with their babies.

There has been little research on the effect of televsion on babies, but a previous study found that for each hour of TV babies under 16 months watched daily, they learned six to eight fewer words than those who had no screen time at all.

The most effective thing you can do to improve your infant’s cognition is to use lots of gestures, read books aloud and talk, talk, talk.  A Guideline to Buying Baby’s Toys will help parents interested in finding appropriate toys for their infants to aid in age appropriate developement.  TV time for your infant will not make your baby smarter. Your deliberate interaction with your child will have a great impact on the emotional and intellectual growth of your infant.

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