Forty percent of 3-month-olds are watching television regularly, despite recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics that babies be TV-free until age 2. By 24 months, the number rises to 90 percent, according to a study published Monday in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

While other studies have examined TV viewing among young children in a general way, this is the first study to "take a magnifying glass" to the youngest group of viewers, said Frederick Zimmerman, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington (UW).

While the study doesn't conclude that TV viewing is good or bad for young children, "it's a wake-up call," he said.

Previous studies have shown that excessive viewing before age 3 is associated with problems of attention control, aggressive behavior and poor cognitive development, he said.

No one knows why yet. "This is the research frontier," he said.

One thing Zimmerman is adamant about, though, is that he doesn't want to blame parents. Much of the baby boom in TV viewing is probably the result of a massive marketing push to convince parents they need screen time to give their children an academic edge.

The niche is so profitable, some networks have sprung up to broadcast baby TV 24 hours a day.

"BabyFirstTV" was unveiled about a year ago, and Utah's largest cable provider, Comcast, offers "Baby Boost."

While the company does not release precise numbers for customers, Comcast spokesman Ray Child said programming for younger children is "one of our most popular ON DEMAND categories, by far."

Despite its popularity, baby TV is unnecessary, said Zimmerman and his fellow researchers, Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician and researcher at Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and a UW associate professor of medicine; and Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of the UW's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences.

"High-quality social interaction with babies, including reading and talking with them, provides all the stimulation the growing brain needs. It's not as though TV or a DVD provides an extra vitamin of some kind in the first two years of life," Meltzoff said.

The irony is that babies have no idea what they're watching, Zimmerman said. "They're responding to changes in their visual field - scene changes, shifting colors, lights, noise stimuli."

Besides findings on very-young viewing, the researchers also discovered:

* The median age for infants to be regularly exposed to TV, DVDs or videos is 9 months.

* Average daily viewing time is one hour a day for children younger than 12 months, and more than 90 minutes a day by 24 months.

* 29 percent of parents said they believed television and DVDs were educational or good for children's brains.

* 23 percent said viewing was enjoyable or relaxing for the child.

* 21 percent used these media as an electronic baby-sitter so they could do other things.

* Only about half the infant viewing time was in what researchers classified as a children's educational category. The rest was split between children's noneducational programs, baby DVDs or videos, and adult programs.

Riverton grandmother Anna Bunker said she was happy her children had shows such as "Sesame Street" to watch growing up. "It taught them their letters and numbers and colors."

Today, her 2-year-old granddaughter is in love with "Dora the Explorer," and that's just fine. "I don't think it's a bad thing, as long as it's educational and they still get outside."

Zimmerman, who along with Christakis co-authored a book titled The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids, said parents don't need to give up television, just be smarter about it.

Pick programs that have some educational value, such as "Sesame Street" or "PEEP and the Big Wide World," he said.

Keep it limited and under control. Look for other ways of getting a break, such as reading a book together. Plan simple activities in advance: a drawer full of measuring cups, wooden spoons and plastic ware can be every bit as distracting as an episode of "The Emperor's New School."

In compiling the study, researchers conducted random telephone surveys of more than 1,000 Minnesota and Washington families with a child born in the previous two years.

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* JENNIFER BARRETTcan be contacted at jbarrett@sltrib.com or 801-257-8611.

* 1. Set limits. No more than 1 or 2 hours per day of "screen" time - TV, video games, computers, DVDs, videos.

* 2. Plan your child's viewing. Instead of flipping through channels, use a program guide and the TV ratings to help your child choose shows. Turn the TV off when a chosen program is over.

* 3. Watch TV with your child and talk about what you see. Explain the difference between entertainment and real life.

* 4. Find the right message. Even a poor program can turn out to be a learning experience if you help your child find the right message. Talk about stereotypes and the ways that people are different or the same. If you don't agree with certain subject matter, you can turn off the TV or explain why you object.

* 5. Help your child resist commercials. Explain that the purpose of commercials is to make people want things they may not need.

* 6. Look for quality children's videos.

* 7. Give other options. Find other things to do, such as playing, reading, spending time with family or friends, learning a hobby, sport, instrument or art.

* 8. Set a good example. You are the most important role model in your child's life. Limiting your own TV viewing and choosing programs carefully will help your child do the same.

* 9. Express your views. When you like or don't like something you see on television, make yourself heard. Stations, networks and sponsors pay attention to letters from the public.

* 10. Get more information. Talk to your pediatrician, your local PTA, the parents of your children's friends or classmates about their families' rules.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics