If you’ve ever been left speechless by a new gadget, you’re not alone — letting babies play on smartphones could delay their speech development, according to a new study.
The new research looked at 900 18-month-old kids, and found that for every extra 30 minutes a tot spent staring at a screen, there was a 49 percent increased risk for delays in using sounds and words, CNN reports.
There was no connection between gizmos and other communication delays like social interaction and body language, according to the report.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 18-month-olds spend zero time looking at screens, but a fifth of the Canadian babies studied were spending an average of 28 minutes a day on devices.
The troubling results may be the first time anyone has looked at the connection, said one of the researchers.
“I believe it’s the first study to examine mobile media device and communication delay in children,” Dr. Catherine Birken, a pediatrician and scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, told CNN.
Still, this is very preliminary research and more is needed before drawing any definitive conclusions, she cautioned.
“It’s the first time that we’ve sort of shone a light on this potential issue, but I think the results need to be tempered (because) it’s really a first look,” Birken said.