Research news: Educational TV for toddlers OK

The News:
Study: Educational TV for toddlers OK
Other, violent shows, such as "Scooby-Doo" or "Power Rangers," are linked to attention problems in later years.
By Lindsey Tanner The Associated Press
Article Launched: 11/05/2007 01:00:00 AM MST
CHICAGO — "Arthur" and "Barney" are OK for toddler TV- watching. But not "Rugrats" and certainly not "Power Rangers," reports a new study of early TV-watching and future attention problems.
The research involved children younger than 3, so TV is mostly a no-no anyway, according to experts. But if TV is allowed, it should be educational, the researchers said.
Every hour per day that kids under 3 watched violent child- oriented entertainment, their risk doubled for attention problems five years later, the study found. Even nonviolent kids' shows like "Rugrats" and "The Flintstones" carried a substantial risk for attention problems, though slightly lower.
On the other hand, educational shows, including "Arthur," "Barney" and "Sesame Street," had no association with future attention problems.
Interestingly, the risks occurred only in children younger than age 3, perhaps because that is a particularly crucial period of brain development. Those results echo a different study last month that suggested TV-watching has less impact on older children's behavior than on toddlers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for children younger than 2 and limited TV for older children.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Pediatrics.