To Study the Prevalence of Excessive Screen Time and Its Association with Developmental Delay in Children between 6 Months To 5 Years Age

Abstract

Background: Early childhood is a crucial period for brain development, and appropriate environmental stimulation is necessary for achieving developmental milestones. With the widespread availability of smartphones and other digital devices, young children are increasingly exposed to screens at an early age. Excessive screen time may interfere with language, cognitive and social development.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of excessive screen time and to assess its association with developmental delay among children aged 6 months to 5 years.

Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Integral Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (IIMSR), Lucknow, over a period of 18 months after ethical approval. A total of 340 children aged 6 months to 5 years attending the pediatric outpatient department were enrolled. Screen exposure was assessed using parental interviews according to WHO recommendations. Developmental screening was performed using the Trivandrum Development Screening Chart (TDSC). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Associations between screen time and developmental delay were evaluated using the Chi-square test, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Smartphones were used by all children, and 88.5% were exposed to screens before 24 months of age. More than half of the children had weekday screen time exceeding 2 hours (53.5%), and 72.9% had more than 2 hours of weekend screen exposure. Developmental delay was observed in 53.8% of participants. A significant association was found between prolonged weekday and weekend screen time and developmental delay (p<0.001). Speech delay, poor eye contact, reduced social interaction and behavioral problems were common among children with higher screen exposure.

Conclusion: Excessive screen time is highly prevalent in young children and is significantly associated with developmental delay, particularly affecting language and social-communication skills. Early parental counseling, adherence to recommended screen-time limits, and routine developmental screening are essential to promote healthy childhood development.