Researchers found that two-year-olds engaging in more than 14 hours of screen time per week had significantly higher chances of displaying autism-like symptoms by age twelve, based on observational data.
The study tracked over 5,000 children, where 145 had received an autism diagnosis, underlining the need for clinicians to consider screen time impact during early childhood assessments.
Experts caution against immediate alarm, indicating the study illustrates an association rather than proving causality, emphasizing that genetics and parental factors are also significant in autism development.
The prevalence of autism is noted to be around one in 50 children, with characteristics including difficulty in social interactions, a tendency to fixate on specific interests, and challenges in processing information.
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