TV watching can lead to autism

Experts from Cornell University have evidenece that there is a link between TV watching and autism. "We are not claiming that we have definitive evidence," said Cornell University management professor Michael Waldman, PhD, "but we have evidence that is awfully suggestive." Autism is usually diagnosed when a child is about three years old. Any effect of TV watching would have to happen before that age. Statistics compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that toddlers watch more television when it's raining outside than when it isn't raining. Waldman and his colleagues decided to look at county-by-county autism rates in California, Oregon, and Washington. All three states have huge regional variations in annual rainfall. Waldman found autism rates tended to be higher in the rainiest counties. A second test showed that areas with the most cable TV subscribers had the most autisitic children.
Waldman and his colleagues recommend that until more direct studies confirm or disporve their conclusion, parents should follow the American Academy of Pediatrician's recommendation - no TV before age two, and no more than an hour or two of TV a day for older children.

(Source: www.webmd.com)