- New research shows that one in 10 babies now regularly falls asleep with a screen
- The 1001 Critical Days Foundation team includes Aston University’s Professor James Wolffsohn and Dr Amy Sheppard
- Evidence links higher screen use to poorer developmental outcomes including obesity, short-sightedness, behavioural difficulties and language delay.
Despite recent government guidelines that parents should avoid screen time for babies under the age of two, a new global study finds that one in ten babies now regularly fall asleep with a screen.
The research exposes the gap between guidance and reality for many families. Commissioned by the 1001 Critical Days Foundation and conducted by the iADDICT research group from four UK universities – Aston University, University of Leeds, Leeds Trinity University and Loughborough University – the research highlights how early experiences are shifting from human interaction to digital engagement. This is of particular importance during the 1,001 critical days – the period from pregnancy to age two – which is the most critical time for the development of a healthy body and mind. A baby’s brain makes one million new connections every second based on their experiences and interactions with the world. This is why understanding the impact of screens in a time when technology is evolving at such a rapid pace is so important.
The researchers, including Professor James Wolffsohn and Dr Amy Sheppard from Aston School of Optometry, reviewed thousands of studies, finding a growing body of evidence linking higher screen use in babies to poorer developmental outcomes. These include increased risk of obesity, increased risk of short-sightedness (myopia), sleep difficulties, challenging behaviour, language delay and later challenges with friendships. In addition to their global systematic review, researchers also surveyed parents and carers with babies under the age of two. Screen use was reported in over 70% of babies and under twos, with some using screens for several hours a day. A significant minority of babies were exposed to up to eight hours per day.
The researchers state that the message is clear: babies under the age of two are now using screens at levels that far exceed current health guidance. This a pressing public health issue because the foundations of future health outcomes are laid down in the time from pregnancy to age two.
However, the academics believe that the answer must not be to blame or shame parents. Parents explained that they are often offering their screens to their babies to help them manage the stress and realities of daily life, from completing domestic tasks to coping with exhaustion and limited support. One parent described their baby’s screen time as “a survival skill in my house”.
On 29 April 2026, Professor Wolffsohn and Dr Sheppard attended the first anniversary celebration of the 1001 Days Foundation in the Speaker’s House within the UK Houses of Parliament, which highlighted the commissioned systematic review on the challenges of screen time for infants. Dame Andrea Leadsom, founder of the 1001 Critical Days Foundation spoke passionately about the impact of a human’s early years on their health and behaviour at the event. She was joined by Lord David Blunkett and Sharon Hodgson, minister for public health and prevention.
Dr Sheppard said:
“We are delighted to be contributing to the goal of the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, to ensure that every baby has the best start in life. Screen use and associated guidance are hugely important topics given the ubiquity of digital devices, and whilst much work has been undertaken on older children and adolescents, it’s vital that we also consider the youngest children as well. Our work brings together global findings on the impacts of screen use by children aged under two years.’
Will Quince, former education and health minister and now the chief executive of the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, said:
“We welcomed the government’s guidance, but this research shows a reality gap between that guidance and everyday life. To move beyond advice, Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies services should be fully funded in every local authority. This would give parents a genuine choice of in-person support alongside digital options. Currently, this funding is only available in half of local authorities in England.
“The burden of screen time cannot fall solely on parents. Tech companies must wake up to the realities of the impact of screen time on babies. Content ratings are currently misleading parents, rating content as ‘suitable for all ages’ or ‘suitable for 0+’. We are calling on major tech companies to urgently review these standards.”
Dame Andrea Leadsom said:
“The clear evidence in this world first review into the impact of screen use on babies is shocking to read.
“When combined with the lack of advice and support for hard pressed parents who may not be aware of the extent of the possible harm being done to their baby, the case for action has never been stronger. All governments need to do much more to help parents increase their own knowledge and give their baby the best start in life.
“I set up the 1001 Critical Days Foundation with one purpose - to promote the best start in life for every baby around the world. Screens are the challenge of our time, and this research demonstrates a critical area where parents urgently need more support. It’s joyful but hard work having a small baby, and we should be doing everything possible to make it easier, not harder.”
- Notes to editors
-
The research was commissioned by the 1001 Critical Days Foundation and carried out by iADDICT, a group made up of four UK universities:
Aston University University of Leeds Leeds Trinity University Loughborough University
The research comprises a global systematic review, a UK parent survey and focus groups. We have included an overview of the findings from the systematic review and detailed analysis from the survey and focus groups separately.
Briefing note: A systematic review of screen time, media and technology use during the 1,001 critical days from pregnancy to age two.This briefing summarises headline findings from a systematic review of international studies. It focuses on when and how screens are used, the wider parenting context and associations with early development, health and wellbeing. It is intended to support the accompanying press release by highlighting the main risk signals and public health implications emerging from the evidence.
Headline findings
1. Screen use begins early and is widespread
Screen exposure commonly begins in the first year of life, with use reported by many children before 12 months of age and sometimes as early as six months (Lev & Elias, 2020; Ribner & McHarg, 2021; Cartanyà‑Hueso et al., 2021). By 24 months, screen exposure is reported to be widespread across studies, with some children exceeding two hours per day (Brushe et al., 2023; Wentz et al., 2022). In recent cohorts, smartphones appear to be the dominant device, overtaking television (Alroqi et al., 2022; Pizzi et al., 2025).
2. Most families exceed recommended limits
Most families do not meet WHO or American Academy of Pediatrics guidance recommending no screen exposure before age two (Dikkala et al., 2022; Luvira & Photichai, 2025). Screen use increases with age and is higher at weekends and at home, and rose during the COVID‑19 pandemic (Kahn et al., 2021; Kracht et al., 2023).
3. Screens are embedded in daily parenting routines
Screens are commonly used during feeding, bedtime and household tasks, often in response to parental workload, stress and fatigue (Kulakci‑Altintas, 2020; Joseph et al., 2022; Brauchli et al., 2024). In some studies, around 20% of young children use screens with little or no parental interaction (Ribner & McHarg, 2021; Brushe et al., 2023).
4. Higher screen exposure is linked to poorer sleep and health behaviours
Greater screen availability, particularly devices in bedrooms, and higher parental screen use are associated with shorter sleep duration and later bedtimes in young children (Ballagamba et al., 2021; Joseph et al., 2022; Lestari et al., 2020). Screen use during meals is associated with poorer diet quality and reduced responsiveness to satiety cues (Ventura et al., 2023; Krijger et al., 2022). Evidence on obesity risk is mixed, though handheld device use shows more consistent associations with higher adiposity (Padmapriya et al., 2021; Metlu & Dinleyici, 2024; Ma et al., 2025).5. Early screen exposure is linked to risks for early development
Greater screen exposure in the second year of life is associated with delayed communication and problem‑solving skills in early childhood (Putnick et al., 2023; Zhao et al., 2022). Higher screen use beyond recommended levels has also been linked to poorer language, educational and peer relationship outcomes later in childhood (Brushe et al., 2024; Gold et al., 2021; Gath et al., 2025).6. Reduced interaction between babies and adults is central to the risks observed
Developmental risks associated with screen use appear partly related to screens displacing caregiver talk, joint attention, peer play and hands‑on exploration (Golds et al., 2021; Samuelsson et al., 2022; Wan et al., 2021). Joint media engagement with caregivers has been shown to mitigate some negative effects and is associated with better language and socio‑emotional outcomes (Lin et al., 2020; Golds et al., 2024).7. Emerging concerns about eye health
Large‑scale studies, mainly from China, report associations between early screen exposure and preschool myopia, with the first post‑natal year appearing particularly sensitive (Huang et al., 2020; Yang et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2024). Evidence from recent European cohorts remains limited.8. Early screen exposure is associated with behaviours observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Several observational studies report associations between higher early-screen exposure, particularly very early introduction and prolonged daily use, and higher levels of ASD-like behaviours or social-communication difficulties in young children (Dikkala et al., 2022; Melchior et al., 2022; Chakhunashvili & Chakhunashvili, 2025). These findings do not establish causation but instead suggest that screen use may be relevant where it is solitary and displaces caregiver-child interaction (Heffer et al., 2020). It indicates a need for further investigation on this topic.9. Early support can reduce screen exposure
Parent‑focused education delivered during pregnancy or early infancy can reduce children’s screen use and improve sleep outcomes (Askie et al., 2020; Zheng et al., 2021; Bulduk et al., 2025). Removing screens before bedtime has been shown to be feasible and effective in toddlers (Pickard et al., 2024).
The 1001 Critical Days Foundation
The 1,001 critical days, from pregnancy to age two, are critical for brain development and lifelong outcomes.
Our vision at the 1001 Critical Days Foundation is to build a better world for babies where governments prioritise the first 1,001 days as the foundation for a healthy society. To achieve this, we are guided by our mission to fund what works, to act on evidence and to drive change through advocacy.
For all media enquiries, please email Media@1001cd.com. Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
Our vision is to be a leading university for science, technology and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses and the communities we serve.
Aston focuses on high-quality, exploitable research that has an impact on society through medical breakthroughs, advancements in engineering, policy and practice in government, and the strategies and performance of business.
The University offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as continuing professional development opportunities.
Thanks to its focus on delivering excellent outcomes for students, Aston University's reputation for employability continues to grow. It is second in England for social mobility (2025 HEPI Social Mobility Index) and is top 20 for graduate salaries (2025 Longitudinal Education Outcomes).
Aston University is now defining its place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7827 090240 or email: h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk.
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