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Can watching too much TV make a child autistic?
Last updated at 23:37pm on 22.10.06
The research team concluded that the results were 'awfully suggestive' of a link between watching TV and autism
Watching too much television in childhood could cause autism, experts have warned.
They are suggesting parents limit their children's viewing - and say the under-twos should be barred from watching TV altogether.
Rates of autism are soaring, with ten times as many youngsters diagnosed with the condition as 30 years ago.
More than one in 100 British children has autism or a related condition such as Asperger's.
Autism charities say the rise is down to better awareness of the condition and improved diagnosis.
Others, however, believe the increase is linked to the MMR jab or even to chemicals found in pesticides.
The latest study, in the U.S., looked at whether there was a link between rising rates of autism and the increasing availability of children's TV, videos and DVDs.
The research team concluded that the results were "awfully suggestive" of a link between watching TV and autism.
As they were unable to obtain any statistics on toddlers' TV habits, they used rainfall levels in different parts of the country to help estimate how much time children spent playing outdoors.
They found that the wettest areas, where, presumably, children spent more time indoors watching TV, had the highest rates of autism.
Dr Michael Waldman, who led the study, said: "We ran the tests a number of different ways, and basically, every way we run it, we get the same thing. If it rains more, autism goes up. If it rains less autism goes down."
Researcher also found that areas with the most cable TV customers had the highest rates of autistic children.
Dr Waldman, from Cornell University in New York state, estimated that just under 40 per cent of autism diagnoses studied were linked to watching TV.
"Our view is there is no obvious thing correlated with both rain and cable TV access except television viewing," he said.
"We are not claiming we have definitive evidence. But we have evidence that is awfully suggestive of a link between watching TV and autism."
Controversy
He recommended those under two did not watch any TV at all, while older youngsters limited their viewing to an hour or two a day.
While it is not clear how watching TV could trigger the condition, it is possible the lack of social interaction could make children prone to autism more withdrawn.
If television is involved, the damage must be done early in life, as most cases of autism are diagnosed by age three.
The findings, presented at a health economics conference in the U.S. last week, have proved controversial.
Many parents reacted angrily to being told they could have harmed their children's health by letting them watch their favourite cartoons.
The study was released in the same week as research identifying a mutation in a gene that more than doubles the risk of autism.
The mutated gene is also involved in the development of the stomach and many of those with autism also suffer digestive problems.
Studies have also shown that older fathers are far more likely than younger ones to have autistic children.
Children born to men of 40 and over are nearly six times more likely to suffer from autism than those born to men under 30.
Reader views (5)
How dare you bring computer games into this.
Call of duty 4 modern warfare is more important than social skills, believe me.
- Johnson, england
I'm potential grad student of Occupational Therapy and this is my main area of study, known as Sensory Processing Disorders. Autism, ADHD and a whole range of disorders fall into this spectrum. I'm planning my master's thesis on a critical analysis of the "Baby Einstein" series and other so-called Developmental Programming which I believe with further the rates of autism, ADHD or other SPD.
Television, while providing an array of colors and sounds, are two-dimensional and offer no interaction with the child. Children are missing out on important socialization skills that come from playing with a parent rather than the TV. This plays out in the lack of social interaction wanted by Autistic children.
To some degree, TV is okay. But to use it as a babysitter and even excuse it as educational, is ludacris.
- Darcy, Fort Collins, Colorado
I'm sure there is a link. Kids are watching just too much TV these days and playing mindless computer games. It must have an effect on them. The real and imaginary world are confused.
- Dhanraj, Basildon, Essex
A lot of children's tv and cartoons are too fast, the rate at which one shot jumps to the next must have some effect on a developing child and I had wondered if it was a factor in ADHD rather than autism. A child would have difficulty holding attention in the 'real world' if he or she is brought up watching fast cut images that jump from one thing to the next.
- Karen, London, UK
If autism is caused by a genetic mutation, then there is NO WAY scientifically that watching too much television caused the genetic mutation. That would have occured before fertilization even took place! More likely, the genetic mutation causes these children to have more interest in television. I have a daughter with Rett Syndrome, a disease in the autistic spectrum that has a known genetic mutation. She loves to watch cartoons as do many children with different forms of autism.
- Stephanie, Edmond, Oklahoma
