Fussy Babies....

Some moms use TV to soothe squirmy, fussy babies, but excess TV viewing in early life has been linked to weight problems and developmental delays in preschool.

Although doctors say babies should not watch television, some mothers may use the tube as a way to calm fussy infants, a new study suggests.

The results show that infants who were perceived , they squirmed a lot or fussier by their mothers were exposed to more TV each day compared with infants who were seen as less fussy.

Infants were especially likely to watch more TV if their mothers were obese or did not graduate from high school. Both factors are associated with more TV viewing.

Previous studies have found that infants with tempers are at greater risk for obesity later in childhood, and the new study offers a possible reason why. "Mothers use the TV to soothe and/or entertain them," the researchers wrote in the Jan. 7 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Excess TV viewing early in life is a concern because the habit has been linked to weight problems and developmental delays in preschool kids, the researchers said. In addition, the TV viewing habits of young children appear to continue into later childhood and the teen years.


The findings suggest that one way to reduce TV exposure early in life is to give parents alternative strategies to help them calm fussy infants, said the researchers, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages TV watching in children younger than 2, citing evidence that it does not provide an educational benefit, and may have adverse health effects.


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