The American Academy of Pediatrics is out with new guidelines for how much time kids should spend in front of a screen – whether it’s television, the computer, a tablet or smartphone. The group’s annual conference is being held in California this week. The A-A-P says families should come up with individualized plans based on a child’s age, and they should have a good balance of good sleep, hygiene, adequate physical activity, a healthy diet, and positive social interactions. The guidelines also call for strict limits of screen exposure for infants and toddlers. Dr. Jennifer Shu helped organize the conference and says many different workshops are being offered.
For children 18 months and younger, the A-A-P says video chatting with a relative is O-K but not much else. For toddlers, a maximum of one hour of educational screen time is recommended. More time is allowed for kids age six and older, but parents are encouraged to monitor what they’re doing.
Shu says pediatricians from across the country come to this conference because they can learn better ways to take care of their little patients.
Some of the other topics at the conference include youth sexuality, infectious diseases, lead exposure and the Flint water crisis, video-game violence, and a session called “I’ll Sleep When My Battery Dies,” which focuses on health problems children and teenagers experience because they aren’t getting enough sleep.