Parenting tips from the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization issued new guidelines urging parents to limit the time children under five spend watching video screens or sitting in chairs and to encourage them to be more active and get better quality sleep. Children younger than a year old shouldn't be exposed to any electronic screens, according to guidelines issued Wednesday by the World Health Organisation. The United Nations agency, issuing its first such guidelines, also recommended that children ages two to four have no more than one hour of "sedentary screen time" - including playing computer games or watching TV - per day. It emphasised that young kids need be physically active and get enough sleep, habits that go a long way in preventing obesity and other diseases later in life.

"Achieving health for all means doing what is best for health right from the beginning of people's lives," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. "Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains." The action comes amid growing research into the developmental effects of the widespread use of computers and mobile devices by children. One concern is that the mesmerising effects of videos keep young children from connecting with their parents and others, a key facet in building the sophisticated social skills that are central to human development.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics found earlier this year that 90.3 per cent of kids between five and 14 spent time on screen-based activities when not at school, and most of those - 56.8 per cent - were glued to screens for 10 or more hours each week. Surveys have consistently shown that children have been exposed to rising amounts of screen time in recent years, including by parents struggling with the challenges of managing the moods and time demands of young children. Many of the most popular channels on YouTube, for example, feature nursery rhymes, simplistic games and other content that appeal to preschoolers. (YouTube long has maintained that its service is intended for those 13 or older.)