Allowing young children to use tablets or watch TV for more than 14 hours a week puts them at “significantly” increased risk of autism, controversial research suggested today.
Australian researchers found that two-year-olds who spent much of their time looking at screens were more likely to show autism-like symptoms by the age of 12.
Experts have long sounded the alarm about the influence of screen time on children’s development.
But the researchers, who followed more than 5,000 children, acknowledged that the paper was merely observational and could not prove causality.
Other scientists today also urged the public not to panic, saying the study shows there is “no real evidence” linking screen time to autism.
It is not yet known exactly what causes autism, but it is sometimes passed on to children by parents.
And studies suggest that it is more common in children of older fathers, as well as in mothers who are overweight or suffer from pregnancy complications.
About one in 50 young people is on this spectrum.
Australian researchers found that two-year-olds who spent much of their time looking at screens were more likely to show autism-like symptoms by the age of 12.
Affected children may find it difficult to make eye contact, understand how others feel, or have a strong interest in certain topics.
Autistic young people may also take longer to understand information or repeat things.
Recent studies have found a link between the duration of screen time and autistic characteristics in young people, the team said.
In the new study, researchers asked parents of 5,107 children about how much time their children spent in front of a screen each week.
In a follow-up questionnaire, when their child was 12 years old, parents were asked if their child had been diagnosed with autism.
They found that 145 children had received a diagnosis.
Writing in the diary, JAMA Pediatricsautism researchers said the risk was “significantly higher in children with more than 14 hours of weekly screen time compared to children with less than 14 hours of weekly screen time at age two.”
They also advised doctors to ask about screen time during early childhood as part of a broader assessment of child development.
This graph shows the percentage increase in the incidence of autism diagnoses from 1998 to 2018. UK researchers found that autism diagnoses had increased by an “exponential” 787% in 20 years.
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza (pictured) warned last month that children forced to wait years for an autism diagnosis on the NHS are being “robbed” of their childhood.
They added: “Screen time may be a useful marker to identify families who need additional support.”
But scientists who were not involved in the research questioned the validity of the results.
Dr James Findon, senior lecturer in psychology at King’s College London, said: “While this study found an association between screen time before age 2 and autism diagnosis before age 12, it did not. suggests causality.”
“This is consistent with our understanding of the development of autism, which is predominantly genetic.
“What the results show us is that autistic children are more likely to spend more time in front of a screen than their neurotypical peers.
‘Screen time often gets a bad press, but for many autistic children screen time can be beneficial.
“This could be because screen time helps them regulate their emotions and calms them during periods of sensory overload.”
Dr Rachel Moseley, a psychology expert at Bournemouth University, also said: “The findings of this study cannot tell us anything about the direction of the relationship between being autistic and screen time.”
“Children who are already autistic but not yet diagnosed, and their parents, are more likely to find particular benefits from screen time.
“Note that autism is rarely diagnosed before age 2, but autistic children remain autistic and develop differently before that time.”
It comes as the Children’s Commissioner warned last month that children forced to wait years for an autism diagnosis on the NHS are being “robbed” of their childhood.
The data, seen by the independent watchdog, shows that one in six children seeking an autism diagnosis waited more than four years through NHS community services, as of March 2024.
Autism is not a disease and people have it from the moment they are born, although it may not be detected until childhood and sometimes much later.
Autism exists on a spectrum. Some people will be able to lead a fully functional life without additional help. Others may need full-time assistance.
According to a 2021 Newcastle University study, approximately one in 57 children in the UK is autistic.
In September, Sweden’s Public Health Agency recommended parents not allow children under two years of age to use smartphones and tablets or watch television.
Children between two and five years old should also be limited to a maximum of one hour of screen time per day, according to new recommendations.
It follows a similar move by Danish officials who issued their own age-related rules in 2023, only allowing children under two in “very special cases”, such as those with learning difficulties, to use the devices.
Children’s screen time skyrocketed during the Covid pandemic, when lockdowns and school closures forced them to stay home.
In the UK, neither the NHS nor the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) have detailed guidelines on screen time for babies and young children.
But they do recommend a maximum limit of two hours a day for all children.
The UK’s chief medical officer also suggests a “precautionary approach” when using devices with screens.
