Smart phones in toddler's hand a strict no-no

New York, May 4 (IANS) Before handing over smart phone to your toddler, kindly note that cell phone use may make your kid less smart.

Toddlers who play non-educational games on touch-screen devices have a lower verbal score on developmental tests, a new study showed.

There was no significant difference in testing scores between children who used touch-screen devices and children without the same exposure to touch-screen devices, it showed.

However, majority of the parents believed their children received educational benefits by using smart phones, readers and tablets.

"Technology can never replace a parent's interaction with his or her child. Just talking to your child is the best way to encourage learning," said Ruth Milanaik, developmental and behavioral physician at the Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York.

"We have observed in our neonatal clinic that the number one 'toy' parents are giving their toddlers are smart phones," Milanaik noted.

The researchers examined infants aged up to 3 years that used touch-screen devices.

Of the 65 families surveyed, the average age of the child when starting to use a touch-screen device was about 11 months and average use was about 36 minutes daily.