Can babies watch tv?

Question

My daughter is 3 months old and for 2 months now we have been letting her watch tv because it calms her down? She watches it for 3 or 4 hours a day. I have read that it can cause A D D or Autism...and I was just wondering if this was true or not? Anyone know if this could be harmful?

Answer 1

As young as she is it is more than likely that the reason that she likes to watch t.v. is the bright patterns and movements that she sees. Does she watch it 3-4 hours straight or is it broken down into smaller increments like 20 minutes here and there. Invest in some Baby Einstein videos. My children loved watching them when they were infants. But I didn't allow that until they were 9 months old and then we played it one time and turned it off. If you want something to stimulate her get a colorful mobile to hang in her crib and turn it on so she can watch it go round and round. My kids also loved doing that. It wasn't until the age of 18 months that we allowed our boys to watch actual t.v programs and then it was only Elmo's World and Sesame Street. And it actually taught them a lot and they loved it. Again they were restricted to how long the could watch t.v.

My younger brother was joking around with my son at his second birthday party and starting asking what different things were in the house. And my son surprised eveyone by answering correctly to everything. He even tossed in some more difficult questions such as what color is a turtle, what does a horse say, where do ducks live, what color is the sky, and so on. I would definately say he learned a lot from watching Elmo. Not to say that we didn't try to teach him a lot of things ourselves but it is much more interesting when a fury red monster tells you about stuff than boring old mom and dad.

Answer 2

7 month old babies should not watch tv at all. There has been research done saying that children below the age of 2 should not watch tv due to their learning development. when babies watch tv at an early age, they get used to watching things that move fast, then when they get in class they have a hard time concentrating, there have been other effects, but I can't think if it right now. hopefully that won't happen to your son, but you should control the amount of tv that he watches. - maybe that's what they mean by it not being safe.

Answer 3

Being that I just had a daughter and am pregnant with our second.... I have done mass research with doctors and peds on this subject. Babies under 1 should not watch tv because they cannot explain inside their head what they are seeing .... it doesn't compute. Not only should a child be only read to and played soft music to stimulate their brain, but sitting a child in front a TV will ruin those months of them being like a sponge for knowledge and mostly memory. I understand once in a while, but calming a baby down should be done by holding them close, rocking them and soothing. :)

Answer 4

I don't think TV would cause autism. There could be something to the argument about TV contributing to ADD though. If your daughter grows up in front of the TV, never getting a chance to run around and play, then perhaps she'll start "acting up" to alleviate some of her energy. They need to run and play, not watch TV!

Answer 5

thats something you really have to decide on your own. obviously people are going to give you different ideas and answers, as you have seen. google it and and read up on it and make your own decisions based on your best judgement and and good intentions. I personally feel that until they fully understand it, it is mostly just colors and shapes. of course they shouldnt just be constantly stuck in front of teh tv for hours on end. My baby is 5 months an she watches baby einstein because like you said, it is the only way to calm her sometimes. She watches tv when i watch tv but i sit with my our sides to it so i talk to her and play toys with her when i do. she glances at it every once in a while but mostly listens to me.if i do really need to do something i turn on sesame street or dora ( so she can hear spanish) but again we can only tell you what we do. hope i helped.

Answer 6

When my son was a baby, he loved to sit in front of the tv. It would calm him down and he would sit there and smile and laugh and eventually fall asleep. He is now 3 years old and very smart and I believe it is from the things he seen on tv. ( A lot of the cartoons these days are very educational). I think she will be fine, and turn into a very smart toddler.

Answer 7

Instead of TV, try music, dancing, walking, riding in stroller, or put her in a snuggly pack while you do housework.
I don't think any child should watch that much TV, no matter how old.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says children under two years should not watch TV.
When she gets older, maybe let her watch/listen to an educational or musical tape; 30-60 minutes a day, max.

Answer 8

i think that 3 or 4 hours is a bit much, but if it's the only thing that calms her down...

my son likes cartoons a lot. we let him watch them for 15 or 20 minutes while we do an important chore or while we shower. i think that babies are stimulated by the lights and sounds. do what works for you.

Answer 9

Yes they watch T.V. My 2 1/2 month old loves to watch Sesame Street everyday, when Elmo's World comes on she gets so excited! There's nothing wrong with it. I have a 9 year old girl who is very smart and talented, she grew up on PBS. Teletubies put her to sleep! All I can say is let her watch as much as she likes just as long as she is happy. Every child develops differently, I'm pretty sure we all grew up watching T.V. Good Luck with your little girl, I'm enjoying every moment of my newborn girl!!

Answer 10

i honestly don't know if its harmful but i know my mom let us watch TV and we let our kis and so far no add or autism. my niece watches baby Einstein and Dr's recommend that for learning and helping with brain function.