Health official warns of impact of smartphone on small children

BANGKOK, May 15 (TNA) - Health official warns that watching games or cartoons via TV or smartphone too much can affect development of children aged under three-years-old. Sqn.Ldr.Boonruang Triruangworawat, director-general of Public Health Ministry’s Health Service Support Department, said a survey conducted in 2013 found that 57 per cent of three-year-old children developed the way they should be at their age while the rest did not. He said there were many major reasons, that influence child development and one of them came from parents allowing their children watching games or cartoons on TVs or smartphones. Dr. Boonruang said telling stories or allowing young children to play should be appropriate ways to promote their brain development and imagination. To solve this problem, the director –general said more than 50,000 volunteers have been trained this year by the Health Service Support Department to work closely with related agencies and parents in communities nationwide. (TNA)