Resource From ASHA, Children’s Screen Time Action Network Focuses on a Critical But Often Overlooked Period in Screen Time Guidance: Babies’ First Year of Life

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A new resource designed specifically for expectant and new parents is aiming to help families cultivate healthy screen time habits—for their child and for parents/caregivers while around their child—from the day baby is born. Developed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and Children’s Screen Time Action Network, Be Tech Wise With Baby! is uniquely tailored to an often overlooked but critical period when it comes to screen time advice: baby’s first year of life.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8666652-asha-be-tech-wise-with-baby-campaign/

Released in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ virtual 2020 Annual Meeting and Exhibition, October 2–5, the free Be Tech Wise With Baby! patient education handout is well suited for pediatrician, ob-gyn, and other medical offices and outpatient therapy clinics; libraries; day care centers; and all other settings that provide information for new parents and caregivers.

Be Tech Wise With Baby! covers

• how to boost baby’s brain development and communication skills from birth;
• ways that screen use by babies—and their caregivers— can impact a child’s healthy development; and
• tips for creating a home environment that sets baby up for optimal growth.

“The welfare of older children, from toddlers to teenagers, has been a regular focus of concerns about screen time—but we cannot overlook babies who are at their most critical stage of development,” said Theresa H. Rodgers, MA, CCC-SLP, 2020 ASHA President. “Right from birth, infants are growing their brains, forming social connections, and learning language and communication through daily interactions with parents and caregivers.

“We want families to know how important dedicated screen-free time is for everyone in the household, to provide an optimal environment for babies to thrive and set a strong foundation for their brain development and communication skills,” she continued.

According to Mark Bertin, MD, a developmental pediatrician involved in the project and author of How Children Thrive, “New parents have so much to consider, and they may not be thinking about how to manage screens around baby. However, how adults use their devices while spending time with baby is critical. Studies have shown parents speak less words when using a smartphone, and looking down at a device makes it harder to notice and respond to baby’s smiles, sounds, and other subtle communication attempts.

“I urge my fellow pediatricians to share Be Tech Wise With Baby! with their patients. It offers suggestions for basic parameters that new parents can establish, such as tech-free spaces in the home or unplugged times of day, to set their child up for success while also taking into account the realistic needs for parents to be connected for their own work, social life, and more,” he said.

Download Be Tech Wise With Baby! for free, in English and Spanish.

For more on children’s communication development, visit www.IdentifytheSigns.org. For more on screen time, visit www.screentimenetwork.org.

Contact:
Francine Pierson, ASHA
[email protected]
301-296-8715  

SOURCE American Speech-Language-Hearing Association