(June 2, 2009 - Insidermedicine) Watching TV is associated with fewer vocalizations and vocal interactions between young children and their adult caregivers, according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Here is some information about how babies learn to talk:

•    Healthy babies are born able to learn complex languages quickly

•    For this ability to develop, they must be able to hear others talk as well as interact with others in vocal ways

•    Recent research suggests that babies are processing the words they hear even as they are developing in the womb

Researchers from the University of Washington had over 300 children aged 2 months to 4 years wear digital recorders on random days for up to 24 months. Recorded sounds were analyzed for vocalizations from the children and the people around them as well as for background noise.

For every hour that the TV could be heard in the background, the children made fewer and shorter vocalizations and the adults spoke fewer words. The children and adults also had fewer vocal interactions with each other.

Today's research offers a potential explanation for the observed link between TV watching early in life and delayed language development.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.