Children recover from TV harm

Chicago(BBC)-Toddlers who watch too much television are more likely to suffer later behavioral problems-but the damage can be reversed,say researchers.

The johns Hopkins university experts found that under-fives who watched over two hours a day increased their risk.However,young children who watched too much,but cut back by five years old,removed the risk ,the study in the journal pediatrics suggested.A UK expert said the level of damage could depend on the individual child.There is fierce debate over the effect of exposure to television on young children,with increasing evidence to suggest that watching substantial amounts can affect behavior.In the U.S., the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years old watch no television,with older children restricted to no more than 2 hours a day .The study from john hopkins bloomberg school of public health ,analyzed data for 2700 children,asking their parents about viewing habits and behavior at two and five years old.

BedRoom Television :

One in five parents reported that their children watched two hours or more of television daily at both two and five.This substained exposure was linked to behavioral problems,while parents of children who had watched little television at two and more than two hours at five were more likely to report problems with social skill development.Having a television in the child's bedroom at five years old was linked to behavioral problems,poor social skills and also poor sleep.However ,children who watched more than 2 hours a day at two years old,but who had redused their exposure by five showed no increased risk of any of these problems.Dr.Cynthia Minkowitz who led the study said:It is vital for clinicans to emphasize the importance of reducing television viewing in early childhood among those children with early use .Dr Richard House ,a lecturer in psychotherapy at Roehampton University and a researcher into the effects of television in young childeren,said he was not convinced that children who cut back on television would be immune form harm.