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📱 Caregiver Smartphone Use Around Preschoolers Not Linked to Motor or Executive Function Scores in 27-Country Study

June 18, 2026 (EMFS)
Jun 14, 2026 (original)
Source: Child Care Health Dev
Source category: Research
AI use
A Child: Care, Health and Development study of 2,232 preschoolers across 27 countries found no association between how often caregivers used smartphones in a child's presence and measured motor skills or executive-function scores. The authors say future work needs more sensitive measures of interruption frequency, duration and context.
📱 This research is covered in EMF Signal's section on screens and digital devices. It does not address electromagnetic fields (radiation).

"Caregiver smartphone use in front of children may reduce attention and responsiveness, which have been negatively associated with young children's health and development."

— Marcelo Toledo-Vargas et al. (study authors)

"In fully adjusted models, the frequency of caregiver smartphone use in a child's presence was not associated with gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual-spatial working memory or inhibition (all p > 0.05)."

— Marcelo Toledo-Vargas et al. (study authors)

"There is a need for more sensitive measures that capture the frequency, duration and context of interruptions and more longitudinal studies that examine motor development and cognition."

— Marcelo Toledo-Vargas et al. (study authors)

"Caregivers reported the frequency of smartphone use in the child's presence across five scenarios: mealtime, playtime, travel, walk and bedtime routines."

— Marcelo Toledo-Vargas et al. (study authors)

Source

Associations Between Caregiver Smartphone Use in a Child's Presence and Motor Skills and Executive Function in Preschoolers: SUNRISE International Study. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

📄 Underlying Research

Associations Between Caregiver Smartphone Use in a Child's Presence and Motor Skills and Executive Function in Preschoolers: SUNRISE International Study.

Marcelo Toledo-Vargas et al. (2026) Child: care, health and development Journal Level 1ⓘ

🔗 DOI 📚 PubMed

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