in Bondy, this pediatrician tries to change the “bad habits” of children addicted to screens

Exposure to screens causes developmental disorders in children, according to several studies. In her office in Seine-Saint-Denis, pediatrician Sylvie Dieu Osika supports families to help them change their habits.

They are nicknamed “screen children”. Facing the pediatrician, Tilliache, 3 and a half years old, struggles to pronounce a few words. The little boy and his parents, originally from Sri Lanka, came to see Doctor Sylvie Dieu Osika at the Jean-Verdier hospital in Bondy (AP-HP), in Seine-Saint-Denis. The hospital has set up a new type of consultation to help these “screen children” drop out. And they are attacked by parents.

An Australian scientific study, published Monday March 4 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, further confirmed the negative impact of exposure to screens, which causes developmental disorders in children.

In addition to his difficulty speaking, Tilliache also has behavioral problems, he is not yet potty trained and he is very agitated. It was the school that advised his parents to take him to see the pediatrician at Bondy hospital.

“Talk, play, be available”

Since he was a baby, TV has been the rhythm of his days. “At two years old, normally, children say ‘daddy gone’, ‘mommy is working’, in Tamil, in English, whatever the language. There, there is a doctor who wrote ‘autistic behavior’, with language difficult. Difficulty at school, concentration…”lists the pediatrician.

“This little boy is 3 years and a half and he’s in trouble. He says words a little in Tamil, a little in English, he understands simple orders but the language is still very poor and there is a lot of catching up to do.” For that it is necessary “talk to him, talk to him, talk to him, play with him and therefore be available”indicates the specialist, founding member of the Screen Overexposure Collective (CoSE).

“We will have to change bad habits, particularly television, which is still used a lot to calm him down, to make him eat, despite certain recommendations that have already been made.”

Sylvie Dieu Osika

at franceinfo

In business for 30 years, Sylvie Dieu Osika sees more and more children like Tilliache: “There, the future of children is at stake, because we are creating a handicap. Language delays, behavioral and mood disorders are observed more and more often in children. 10-15 years ago, I didn’t see that.” The doctor criticizes the public authorities for not systematically informing parents of the dangers of screens.

The new Minister of Health affirms that the experts mandated by the Élysée will soon make recommendations to regulate the use of television, telephones and tablets among children.