You may be tempted to turn on the TV to catch up with some news while your baby’s in the same room. At other times, you may even think it best to have a kiddie channel on to keep your baby engaged while you do some chores. While you have the best intentions for your baby, the question is, “can you watch TV with a newborn in the room?” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation is that kids under two years of age should not be allowed to watch TV.
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So, can you watch TV with a newborn in the room? The answer is no. as long as your baby is awake to hear the sounds from the TV or to see the images on the screen, it’s a big no. What if your baby were asleep in your arms or on the bed as you watch TV? That won’t pose any risk to your baby because their senses are not alert enough to absorb the information and scenes from the TV.
Can you watch TV with a newborn in the room?” It’s best not to allow your baby to partake in TV entertainment when they’re not developed enough. Allow them to be over two years of age before considering that.
Can babies watch TV at 3 months?
At three months, your baby’s not fully developed to watch TV, as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises. Your baby’s learning faculty is still grossly underdeveloped, and interference from the TV will inhibit that aspect of learning in them. Kids should hear language sounds from humans around them, like you and other family members, rather than from a TV.
Your baby stores any words they hear in their knowledge bank and keeps processing them until about three months old when they start babbling. Sounds from the TV will alter and confuse their stored words. That may result in speech delay for your baby.
Is watching TV bad for babies’ eyes?
TV screens emit some ultraviolet rays and other types of electric and magnetic field (EMF) radiation. These rays can be harmful to the human eyes over an extended period. Your baby’s eyes are still developing and are not ready to withstand such harmful rays. Your baby’s eyes may become painful, red, and teary if they constantly gaze at the TV screen. They may also come down with eye strain and blurred vision. It, therefore, means that allowing them to watch the TV screen might harm their eyes, so you may want to avoid that.
When to stop watching TV in front of a baby?
Research has shown that allowing babies younger than 24 months to watch TV can negatively impact their short-term memory, reading ability, and language development. Other problems that may arise when watching TV in front of your baby are poor attention control, unhealthy cognitive development, and sudden violent behaviors.
You should stop watching TV in front of the baby as soon as they’re born until they’re 24 months old. You should also stop watching TV in front of your baby when they’re feeding and anytime they’re awake.
Is watching TV while breastfeeding bad?
Yes, watching TV while breastfeeding your baby is wrong for several reasons. First, it causes a lot of distractions for you and your baby. On your part, you need all the concentration you can get while feeding your newborn to ensure they’re correctly latched on the breast. You should also be alert enough to ensure your baby is not at risk of choking while feeding.
For your baby, the sounds and visuals from the TV distract them from feeding, which may cause undernutrition. You may also not bond appropriately with them if they’re distracted by the TV because they’ll be gazing at the screen rather than at your face.
Conclusion
With the above reasons, you now have the answer to the question –“can you watch TV with a newborn in the room?” you should allow your baby to cross the 2-year mark before considering watching TV in front of them. This way, you’ll not jeopardize the chances of bonding well with your newborn. You’ll also avoid the harmful effects of TV on their eyes and developing cognitive ability.
