Early Screen-Time Exposure and Its Association With Risk of Developing Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological deficit in brain functions that prevents a child from having a normal social life like his peers. It results in the inability to interact and communicate with others. Unsurprisingly, the alarming increase in screen-time exposure in children has become even more of a concern. Electronic devices are a double-edged sword. Despite their benefits, they have many potential hazards to children's neurological development. Previous studies have investigated the effects of unsupervised screen time and its impact on white matter development during the early years of life of children. The white matter has an important role in the development of neurological functions. This systematic review aims to qualitatively analyze the literature available on early screen time exposure and its association with the risk of developing ASD. This systematic review implemented the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for data in the recent six years. A total of 27,200 articles were identified using the MeSH and keywords through four selected databases. Search results revealed 70 from PubMed, 17,700 from Google Scholar, zero from Cochrane Library, and 9,430 from PubMed Central. After applying filters and screening the results by title and abstract and then by full text, 11 studies fulfilled the criteria to be included in the review. We found that the longer the period of screen exposure, the higher the risk that the child may develop ASD. Further, the earlier the child is exposed to screens, the higher the risk of developing ASD in children compared to children exposed later.