Photo: CPS

A new study of Vancouver parents finds the majority are ignoring Canadian Pediatric Society recommendations that young children not be allowed any access to electronic devices likes smartphones or tablets.

A team of nurses mentored by University of British Columbia nursing professor Wendy Hall surveyed 242 parents of children aged two and under at community health centres throughout the city after noticing a lot of younger kids using screens.

Forty-two per cent of those surveyed said they did not allow their children any screen time, but 40.5 per cent allowed up to 30 minutes per day and the remaining 17.5 per cent gave infants and toddlers an hour or more a day.

Hall said she's not surprised that parents use screens to distract children so they can get chores done, but said adults must understand screen time can have negative effects on children’s language development and sleep patterns.