Does Baby Einstein hurt more than help?
Filed under: Child Development, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months, Infant / First year, 2 years, Toddler, Television, DVDs and Videos
In a new study, researchers have found that videos such as the "Baby Einstein" and "Brainy Baby" series may delay language development in toddlers. For every hour of watching the videos, children learned six to eight fewer words than children who did not watch any videos. The effect was most pronounced with infants eight to sixteen months old, when language skills begin to form.Findings such as this led to the American Academy of Pediatrics making the recommendation that no child under two watch any television at all. Dr. Dimitri Christakis of the University of Washington who co-led the study noted that "the majority of the videos don't try to promote language; they have rapid scene changes and quick edits, and no appearance of the 'parent-ese' type of speaking that parents use when talking to their babies." Parents, however, incorrectly assume that the videos will improve language skills, but it seems that may not be the case.
Certainly, no television is better than any television, but I have to wonder how these compare to other television, especially shows not intended for small children. How do they stack up, for example, against shows like Spongebob or even MTV or CNN? While my kids watched the Baby Einstein videos and, I feel, benefited from them, my first choice would have been to have them watch no telly at all; given that that was not an option, I think these sorts of videos are the best second choice.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments