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New Study Shows No Benefits From TV Before Age 2

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Mar 2, 2009 12:14 pm US/Eastern

New Study Shows No Benefits From TV Before Age 2

BOSTON (WBZ) ―

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If you have a baby or a toddler, you may want to turn off the TV.

That's the latest recommendation of a study from Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School.

Researchers found that TV viewing before the age of 2 does not improve a child's language and visual motor skills.

However, the study of 872 children in Massachusetts also showed that it's not a detriment to a child's cognitive development either.

Read: The Entire Study

The researchers admit they need to do more follow-up studies.

For now, they recommend keeping the television off.

"TV exposure in infants has been associated with increased risk of obesity, attention problems, and decreased sleep quality," said Dr. Michael Rich, contributing author on the study.

"Parents need to understand that infants and toddlers do not learn or benefit in any way from viewing TV at an early age."