DVDS for Babies May Hinder Language Development

TV programs, DVDs, and videos specifically for babies abound. But is watching them good for language development? To find out, researchers surveyed 1,008 parents of children between the ages of 2 to 24 months about their children’s TV viewing. They also had them assess their child’s language skills using a simple test. Among infants ages 8 to 16 months, each hour per day of viewing baby DVDs or videos was linked with a nearly 17-point lower language development score. This is equal to about six to eight fewer test words understood.