Mums who are obsessed with their smartphone talk to their children less, study finds - which may hinder their language development

Study suggests parents should think twice about using a phone near their childREAD MORE: 44% of UK adults look at their smartphones every hour

New mums who spend hours using their phone may hamper their child’s language development, according to a study.

Scientists have found that mothers speak to their children up to 26 per cent less when they are using a phone.

They have advised mums and dads to ‘be attuned’ to their child’s needs while messaging, calling or scrolling through social media.

The researchers, from the University of Texas at Austin, recruited 16 pairs of mothers and their infants for the study.

On average, the infants were four months old and wore small audio recorders, while their mothers’ phone use was monitored through smartphone logs.

For many parents, it's tempting to pick up your phone even in the presence of your child - but this could be harming their language development (file photo)

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In total, the team collected more than 16,000 minutes of synchronised phone use and audio data over the course of a week.

Analysis revealed phone use was linked to a 16 per cent decrease in the number of words mothers said per minute to their young kids (averaging four months old).

It appeared that shorter bursts of phone use – one to two minutes – was linked to an even greater decrease in mothers’ word output of 26 per cent compared to when they were on the phone for longer periods.

Study author professor Kaya de Barbaro told MailOnline: 'What we see is that the effect of phone use on mom's speech is strongest for short periods of phone use.

'When moms pick up their phones for 1-3 minutes it is associated with greater decreases in speech relative to occasions moms are using their phones for longer periods of time.

'This might be because when people use their phones for longer periods of time they may be more likely to be using the phone for a phone call or video chat where speech is high while phone the phone is being used.'

Scientists have found that mothers speak to their children up to 26 per cent less when they are using a phone. They have advised both mums and dads to ‘be attuned’ to their child’s needs while messaging, calling or scrolling through social media (file photo)

Phone use also had stronger effects on speech during certain hours of the day than others – especially during 9-10am, 12-1pm and 3-4pm.

Previous research indicates that chatting with infants even from a very early age is important as it improves their language and communication skills.

Professor de Barbaro and co-author Dr Miriam Mikhelson said in a joint statement: ‘It is unlikely that eliminating phone use entirely during childcare is necessary, nor is it realistic.

‘Our advice to new parents is to be cognizant of the impact phones can have on their ability to be attuned to their child’s needs.

‘It is critical for infants to have consistent and responsive care which can be more difficult with the alluring and consuming nature of a smartphone.’

They added that they were ‘surprised by the overall quantity of phone use across participants’ – with an average of 4.4 hours of phone use per 12-hour period.

The findings were published in the journal Child Development.