NEW: No Screen Time for Children Under 1, Recommends World Health Organization in New Guidelines
GoLocalProv News Team
NEW: No Screen Time for Children Under 1, Recommends World Health Organization in New Guidelines
This comes as one of the organization’s new guidelines that were issued on Wednesday.
Children under five must spend less time sitting watching screens, or restrained in prams and seats, get better quality sleep and have more time for active play if they are to grow up healthy, according to new guidelines.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Achieving health for all means doing what is best for health right from the beginning of people’s lives. Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains,” says WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Other recommendations for children under one include:
- Be physically active several times a day in a variety of ways, particularly through interactive floor-based play; more is better. For those not yet mobile, this includes at least 30 minutes in prone position (tummy time) spread throughout the day while awake.
- Not be restrained for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g. prams/strollers, high chairs, or strapped on a caregiver’s back). Screen time is not recommended. When sedentary, engaging in reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged.
- Have 14–17h (0–3 months of age) or 12–16h (4–11 months of age) of good quality sleep, including naps.
The Guidelines
The new guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep for children under 5 years of age were developed by a WHO panel of experts.
They assessed the effects on young children of inadequate sleep, and time spent sitting watching screens or restrained in chairs and prams.
They also reviewed the evidence around the benefits of increased activity levels.