High amounts of screen time contribute to ad- verse cognitive, executive function, and behavior outcomes at ages 6-7 in extremely preterm (EPT) children, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers assessed the association of high screen time with cognition, language, executive function, and behavior among 414 EPT children at ages 6-7. Screen time exposure was characterized as low (≤2 hours/day) or high (>2 hours/day). Among the children, 57% had high screen time, with 64% having a television or computer in their bedroom. High screen time was independently associated with lower full- scale IQ. High screen time was also associated with an increased risk for deficits in executive functions, including metacognition, global ex- ecutive function, inhibition, and Conners 3rd Edition-Parent Short-Form inattention, when adjusting for sex, gestational age, and social de- terminants of health. Similarly, a television or computer in the bedroom was associated with an increase in inhibition and hyperactivity or impul- sivity problems. “These findings support the need for clinicians to have heightened awareness of the risks for EPT children and discuss both the benefits and risks of screen time with families,” the authors wrote.
