Jakarta (ANTARA) - Parents should not allow their children to access electronic gadgets until they are two years of age, so they do not experience speech delay, Jakarta's Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Head Rini Sekartini stated.

Sekartini explained that early exposure to gadgets, especially without parental supervision, may hinder the child’s speech development.

"Children (especially toddlers) should not be left alone with a gadget. You can say that gadget is an enemy since it was found that on average, children exposed to gadgets tended to experience speech delays. Hence, I advise parents to not give their children a gadget until they are two years of age," Head of Jakarta's IDAI stated during an online seminar titled "Optimizing Children's Growth Early" on Saturday.

Sekartini noted that from birth up to two years of age is a period of golden age, deemed an optimal time for child development.

According to Mother and Children's Health (KIA) Book published by the Ministry of Health, one of the indicators of successful child development is clear speech by the time they are two years of age.

However, Sekartini pointed to times when busy parents allow their children to use gadgets to silence them, but this could hinder their growth and be causal to speech delay.

Moreover, Sekartini suggested parents to monitor the development of their children by using the guidelines in the KIA Book.

If parents found that their children did not fulfill several criteria of successful growth listed in the KIA Book, then they should immediately consult with a pediatrician for further intervention.

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Translator: Livia Kristianti, Fadhli Ruhma
Editor: Suharto
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