A preliminary study on the relationship between characteristics of TV content and delayed speech development in young children

Infant Behav Dev. 2009 Jun;32(3):312-21. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2009.04.002. Epub 2009 May 26.

Abstract

Our previous population survey of 18-month-old children suggested an association between delayed language development and heavy TV viewing. We therefore collected all 85 videos described as children's favorites in that questionnaire to examine relationships between the characteristics of habitually viewed videos and language development. In the language delayed group, compared to the non-delayed group, the types of videos preferred more were "realistic animations" and "baby education" and the characteristics of videos were contained few close-ups of characters facing viewers, continued uninterruptedly between stories, had constant movement or transformation of characters, had a high frame rate of animation, and that adults readily kept on watching the videos even with the sound off. These characteristics were seen more in videos the above two types. These findings imply that habitual television/video viewing with characteristics that are not apt to elicit parent-child communication for long hours may affect delayed language development in young children.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child Language*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Language Development Disorders / etiology*
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Odds Ratio
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Television*
  • Time Factors