Apparent link between screen time before age 2 and autism later may be explained by family income and education

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-11-05 03:00

Australia; International; NSW

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US, Australian and Taiwanese scientists say the apparent link between screen time before age two and an increased risk of developing autism by age 12 does not appear to be causal, and may instead be explained by family income and mums' level of education. The team looked at data on screen time and autism later in childhood for 5,107 Australian kids, 145 of whom were diagnosed with the condition by age 12. Initially, the link between screen time of more than 14 hours per week before age two and chances of developing autism later looked robust, but when the researchers took family income and mums' educational level into account, these appeared to be strongly linked to the likelihood of higher screen time and may be more important risk factors for autism than screen time. Healthcare professionals should inquire about young kids' screen time and be aware that the families of kids who spend a lot of time on screens before age two may be in need of additional support, the authors conclude.