Varying trajectories of infant television viewing over the first four years of life: Relations to language development and executive functions

Abstract

Infant television exposure has been related to poorer language development and poorer executive functions in preschool and early childhood. Wide variability exists in the amount of television infants are exposed to in the first few years of life. The current study examined 256 primary caregiver-infant dyads over the first four years of life. Primary caregivers reported on their infant's television viewing each year as well as their language development and executive functions (year 4 only). Children also completed direct assessments of language development (year 4) and executive functions (including effortful control measures year 4). Growth mixture models showed three distinct trajectories of infant television exposure across the four years. Infants who started high and remained high in terms of their television viewing at the end of four years performed the most poorly on all assessments of language development and emerging executive functions. Infants with low television exposure in the first year of life who remained low in television exposure across the four years preformed the best on measures of language development and executive functions. Trajectories associated with early and persistent television exposure in the first few years of life were particularly problematic to preschooler's cognitive development. The current study supports AAP recommendations for limited screen-based media in the first few years of life.