Date: April 19th 2004

Baby 411 E-News April 2004: TV, flu vaccine, Canada bans walkers, sleep


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BABY 411 NEWS UPDATE: April 2004
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BABY 411
http://www.Baby411.com
April 2004
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In this email:
1. Television and link to attention problems
2. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stockpiles flu vaccine
3. Canada bans walkers
4. Is your baby getting enough sleep?

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Here’s what is new and exciting in the world of babies and young children!


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1. Television and link to attention problems

A study released in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics looked at the potential association of TV viewing at young ages and the development of attention problems later in life.

Children ages 1 and 3 years of age were evaluated for the number of hours TV watched per day. Then, they were tested for attention problems at age seven. The average one year old watched 2.2 hours of TV a day and the average three year old watched 3.6 hours a day. The statistics showed that TV watching was associated with attention problems at age 7 and kids who watched more than the 'average' number of hours in this study had significantly higher probability of having attention problems.

The type of programs the kids were watching was not assessed. The concern is that the rapid fire images of television may wire a child’s developing brain to process information for short periods of time-regardless of whether the program is ‘educational’ or not.

Take home message: Early television viewing during a time of critical brain development (under 3 years of age) may significantly impact the way kids' brains process information. This concern should be investigated further.

How much TV should a baby watch? At what age is TV OK? See Baby 411 for specific guidelines.

National TV turnoff week is April 19-25, so now might be a good time to think about how TV impacts your life and your family.

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2. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stockpiles flu vaccine

The CDC plans to stockpile 4 million doses of flu vaccine for children for next year’s cold and flu season. This year’s flu hit early and hard, and led to the death of 143 children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has now recommended flu vaccine for infants ages six months and older.

New recommendation: Women in their FIRST trimester of pregnancy can and should receive the flu vaccine.

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3. Canada bans walkers

Canada is the first country to officially ban infant walkers from being sold new or used, imported, or advertised. Their health officials are concerned that infants do not have the motor skills, reflexes, or intellectual capacity to safely use them.

Walkers are a significant safety hazard. Infants can sustain head injuries if they transport themselves to a stairway and tumble. They also give infants the freedom to get around places in your home that you might not want them to.

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4. Is your baby getting enough sleep?

A recent study released by the National Sleep Foundation found that infants and young children aren’t getting enough sleep (and neither are their parents!). Infants aged 3-11 months, on average, are getting 12.7 hours a day even though they probably need about 14-15 hours. Toddlers aged 1-3 years are getting 11.7 hours and need 12-14 hours. Tired kids are not only cranky, but they are less interested in learning new information.

Another disturbing finding: 20% of kids under the age of 3 had TV sets in their bedrooms and 33% of kids ages 3-5 years did as well. And, no surprise here, kids with their own TV’s went to bed later and got less sleep.

Need help getting your little one to the Land of Nod? Check out the sleep chapter in Baby 411.


Happy Spring!
--
Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields, authors
BABY 411
Web: www.Baby411.com