Exclusive: Pediatrician Dr Imran Patel advises ‘zero screen time' for babies under 2 years of age, here's why
In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Dr. Imran discussed the current trend of giving screen time to children under 2 years of age and how it hinders the growth and development of infants.
Does screen time make children aggressive?
Speaking on The Pinkvilla Podcast, Dr. Imran Patel addressed the side effects of allowing children to have screen time.
He explained how this eventually leads to them becoming more aggressive by nature, lacking concentration skills, and even hampers their ability to engage in physical activity.
Dr Imran says, 'Bacche aggressive hote hai, attention span kam ho jaata hai, concentrate nahi kar paate, physical activity nahi ho paati hai, outdoor activity nahi ho paa rahi hai.'
Dr Imran Patel advises zero screen time for children less than 2 years of age
Dr. Imran highlighted that, apart from altering behavioral skills, exposure to screen time from an early age onwards also impacts the child's cognitive functions.
He reiterated the World Health Organization's recommendation on the matter, which strictly advises zero screen time for children under 2 years of age.
In his words, 'Less than 2 years: WHO recommend karta hai aur Dr. Imran Patel aur saare pediatricians recommend karte hai less than 2 years; zero screen time.'
Does the fast-paced modern life lead children to spend more time on screens?
Moving forward in the elucidating conversation, Dr. Imran Patel highlighted how the issue of children getting more screen time than required by their age is a by-product of the modern lifestyle.
He explained how parents often find themselves lacking time to spend with their children, and as a result, they resort to handing them mobile phones at a young age.
The pediatrician further revealed some of the dire consequences of excessive screen time to children at a young age, resulting in speech delay, autism, deficiency, aggressiveness, and other traits.
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