Screen exposure in infants: an analysis of clinical records from well-child visits at an outpatient center

Abstract

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding screen exposure in infants. Assessing its documentation during health check-ups is key to monitoring adherence to these guidelines.

Objectives: To describe clinical records of infants regarding screen exposure during child health care visits.

Patients and Method: Retrospective study based on a sample of 359 electronic medical records of infants seen for Child Health Care between March and June 2022 at a teaching outpatient center. Records of infants under 2 years of age with a Child Health Care diagnosis during that period were included. Records with no patient attendance were excluded. Demographic variables, documentation of screen exposure, and the healthcare professional responsible for care were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test were used to evaluate associations between categorical variables.

Results: Screen exposure was documented in 49.6% of the records. Duration was recorded in 78.1%, frequency in 63.5%, and type of screen in 38.5%. Parental supervision was mentioned in only 2.1%. Recommendations against exposure were recorded in 27.6%. Documentation was more frequent in older infants and in teaching contexts (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Documentation of screen exposure during child health care visits is limited. Its higher frequency in visits with older infants and in teaching settings suggests areas for improvement. Including questions about screen use could enhance adherence to pediatric guidelines.