Kolkata: Concerned over the impact of rampant digital usage among children, including infants, the Union health ministry has decided to deploy ASHA workers to assess the extent of the problem and sensitise parents on digital devices.A similar initiative is also being incorporated into the school health and wellness programme, health ministry officials said in Kolkata on Thursday while unveiling the national workshop on Rashtriya Bal Suraksha Karyakram 2.0.Health experts said the age group of zero to three years is crucial for brain development and early exposure to digital devices can cause developmental delays and cognitive issues in children.Excessive screen time in older children, they said, can lead to behavioural problems, reduced attention span, sleep disturbances, obesity and other health consequences.“Nowadays almost every household has advanced mobiles, even in houses that cannot afford other appliances. Parents often hand over a mobile to kids to keep them engaged,” said Aradhana Patnaik, additional secretary and mission director, MoHFW.The training programme for ASHA workers was changed recently.Community workers will have to monitor how much time a child spends on a mobile.Health officials said a similar initiative will be implemented in educational institutions.State health officials said Bengal has nearly 71,000 ASHA workers. Each ASHA worker spends two to three hours on home visits for four to five days a week.While ASHA workers will sensitise parents against introducing children to mobile screens early, officials said.According to doctors, there is a trend of mothers making children stay glued to the mobile during their feeding time, a practice that is doing more harm than good.“Parents should give their kids objects that are appropriate for their age and can help them in overall development and encourage them to play with those,” said Suchandra Mukherjee, professor of neonatology at IPGMER-SSKM.
