In today’s digital age, children are spending more time in front of screens, but a new study raises concerns about the effects of this exposure. Research conducted on rats suggests that prolonged exposure to blue light emitted from devices like smartphones and tablets could lead to early puberty.

The study, presented at the 62nd Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in Liverpool, explored the relationship between blue light exposure, bone growth, and pubertal development.

"This is the first study to show how blue light could potentially influence physical growth and development, prompting further research into the effects of modern screen exposure on children's growth," said Dr. Aylin Kilinc Ugurlu, lead researcher from Gazi University in Turkey as reported by IANS.

Details of the study conducted

The research involved 36 rats, equally divided between males and females, starting at 21 days old. They were split into three groups, each exposed to different light conditions: normal light, six hours of blue light daily, and 12 hours of blue light daily.

The findings revealed that the rats exposed to blue light experienced faster growth in their bones, particularly the femur, which is a key mark of growth in children. The study concluded that early bone growth and maturation could result in shorter adult height, as growth plates solidify earlier than normal. Children may grow rapidly at at first, but they often stop growing earlier than is usual, according to the study. Growing use of devices that emit blue light could be a possible cause.

"This means their bones matured too soon, which could potentially cause them to be shorter than average as adults," Dr. Ugurlu explained.

Impact of blue light on children

While the study was conducted on rats, the findings highlight a potential risk for children. Dr. Ugurlu noted, “We cannot be sure that these findings would be replicated in children, but our data suggests that prolonged exposure to blue light accelerates both the physical growth and maturation of the growth plate, leading to early puberty.”

Early puberty, a condition observed more frequently in recent years, has significant implications for children. It may result in rapid initial growth but an earlier halt in height increase. It is necessary to implement a few set of rules for children since it can have various health implications as they grow during their peak years of life.