Infants with high screen exposure face autism risk

One-year-old infants with high digital screen exposure are more likely to show autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms by age three, says a recent (May) pivotal study by researchers of the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

The AIIMS study, which covered 250 children (three-six years), also reveals that children with autism had higher screen dependency, poorer sleep patterns and less physical activity. According to AIIMS-Delhi clinician Dr. Praveen Gupta, the one-three age period is critical for neural development, and excessive digital screen exposure during this time “interferes with essential face-to-face social interaction and communication skills”.

“Children specifically under 18 months should have no screen exposure at all. For those aged 18 months to six years, parents should limit use to one hour daily under strict supervision. Older children should not exceed two hours of screen time per day. By prioritizing physical play and interpersonal communication, parents can support healthier neural connectivity,” says Prof. Sheffali Gulati of the paediatric neurology department, AIIMS Delhi.

Poor muscle health & obesity raise type 2 diabetes risk

A study published in Diabetes Care (July) has found that the risk of developing diabetes depends on body weight/obesity as well as muscle health. Researchers from the Curtin School of Population Health and Dementia Centre of Excellence at the Curtin enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth (Western Australia) analysed health data of 480,000 adults over a 14-year period to assess factors influencing diabetes risk.

Researchers found that individuals with excess body fat and poor muscle health — a condition known as sarcopenic obesity — are more than three and a half times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those with healthy body composition. The study found 15 percent of people with sarcopenic obesity developed type 2 diabetes within 10 years, compared with around 11 percent of people with mere obesity and just 3 percent of people without sarcopenic obesity.

“Most people know carrying excess weight can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but our findings show muscle health is also an important piece of the puzzle,” says lead author and Ph. D scholar Zhongyang Guan. “This suggests we need to look beyond the number on the scales when assessing diabetes risk, as maintaining muscle strength and muscle mass may be just as important as managing body weight,” says Guan.

Parents’ digital ‘phubbing’ causes children anxiety

Parents who are frequently distracted by their smartphones and/or engage in phubbing — ignoring someone to look at the mobile phone instead — unintentionally cause anxiety and insecurity in their children, according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology (July).

Researchers at Newport Healthcare’s Center for Research and Innovation in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) surveyed 600 teenagers aged 12-17 nationwide using a Device Attachment Interference Scale that assessed how teens felt about their parents’ device use. “When parents are physically present but emotionally absent because of their phones, children can develop insecure attachment,” says lead author Don Grant.

Sleep loss for six weeks triggers weight gain

Missing 80 minutes of sleep every night for six weeks may be sufficient to contribute to weight gain, says a study published by Columbia University (USA) in July. Researchers from the university’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons found that adults who consistently slept less for over six weeks gained an average of one pound and spent more time being physically inactive. Moreover, the study suggests that chronic, mild sleep deprivation gradually disrupts metabolism and reduces daily physical activity. Over time, scientists warn, this pattern could increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“Our study shows that getting adequate sleep may reduce the risk of weight gain and obesity-related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes,” says Marie-Pierre St-Ong, lead author and professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia’s Department of Medicine and Institute for Human Nutrition.