New study says ADHD is not caused by too much television.
by courtkneeContrary to what many parents have believed, watching television does not lead to ADHD in children. The March edition of Pediatrics features findings from a recent study that showed exposure to television does not increase the likelihood of attention deficit symptoms.
The study analyzed the performance in school of 2500 randomly selected children. The participants were observed in kindergarten and then again in first grade. This data was compared with the parent-reported television watching habits of the children, as well as socioeconomic factors, parental involvement and teacher input.
It is important to note that the study conducted differs from previous studies on the same subject. While this study focused on children who were 5 to 6 years of age, earlier studies that showed a link between ADHD and television were conducted with children who were 2 to 3 years of age. The researchers of the new study acknowledged that it may be possible that television watching contributes in ADHD in younger children, since at that point the brain is much more malleable.
What does this mean for parents? Experts still believe that television should be used in moderation. However, the study does take pressure off of parents who may have thought that allowing television created ADHD symptoms in their children.
Related: