Mobile touch screen devices (smartphones and tablet computers) have become an integral part of many parents’ and children’s lives, with this interaction linked to physical, mental and social outcomes. Despite the known importance of parent-child attachment, evidence on the association between device use and attachment was yet to be reviewed. Following protocol pre-registration, databases were searched, papers screened, and methodological quality assessed. Three papers met the inclusion criteria, and reported some negative associations between duration of parent/child smartphone use and attachment outcomes. A narrative synthesis on two groups of related papers found child time using any screen technology (including television viewing), and child ‘problematic’ internet, mobile phone, gaming and social media use, was negatively associated with attachment outcomes. Currently there is limited direct evidence on any association between time parents or children spend using these devices and parent-child attachment to support time guidelines for families and professionals working with families. Practitioner summary: Many parents and children regularly spend time using smartphones and tablet computers. This systematic review found limited evidence evaluating associations between child/adolescent or parent time using devices and parent-child attachment. Until quality evidence exists, practitioners should be alert to potential impacts of device use on family relationships and child outcomes.

This study explores how the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced family routines, relationships and technology use (smartphones and tablet computers) among families with infants. Infancy is known to be an important period for attachment security and future child development, and a time of being susceptible to changes within and outside of the family unit. A qualitative design using convenience sampling was employed. A total of 30 mothers in Perth, Western Australia participated in semi-structured interviews by audio or video call. All mothers were parents of infants aged 9 to 15 months old. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and data were analysed using thematic analysis to code and identify themes in an inductive manner. Families described staying home and stopping all external activities. Three themes relating to family interactions and wellbeing were found: enhanced family relationships; prompted reflection on family schedules; and increased parental stress. Two themes related to family device use were found: enabled connections to be maintained; and source of disrupted interactions within the family unit. Overall, participants described more advantages than downsides of device use during COVID-19. Findings will be of value in providing useful information for families, health professionals and government advisors for use during future pandemic-related restrictions.

As families increase their use of mobile touch screen devices (smartphones and tablet computers), there is potential for this use to influence parent-child interactions required to form a secure attachment during infancy, and thus future child developmental outcomes. Thirty families of infants (aged 9-15 months) were interviewed to explore how parents and infants use these devices, and how device use influenced parents’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours towards their infant and other family interactions. Two-thirds of infants were routinely involved in family video calls and one-third used devices for other purposes. Parent and/or child device use served to both enhance connection and increase distraction between parents and infants and between other family members. Mechanisms for these influences are discussed. The findings highlight a new opportunity for how hardware and software should be designed and used to maximise benefits and reduce detriments of device use to optimise parent-infant attachment and child development. Many families with infants regularly use smartphones and tablet computers. This qualitative study found that how devices were used either enhanced or disrupted feelings of parent-infant attachment. Practitioners should be aware of potential beneficial and detrimental impacts of device use among families given implications for attachment and future child development.

The potential for human–computer interaction to have a substantial impact on adults is well documented. However, its potential importance prior to birth has rarely been reported. Parental use of smartphones and tablet computers could influence the relationship between parent and baby during pregnancy (prenatal attachment) and thus child development. Twenty-seven families were interviewed to explore how parents used these devices during pregnancy, and how device use influenced parents’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours towards their baby while in utero. All used devices for a variety of purposes, and all described good levels of prenatal attachment. Parents described both disrupted and enhanced connectedness as a result of device use, and increased parental stress. The findings highlight a new opportunity for how device design and use guidelines could support families to maximise benefits and reduce detriments of device use to optimise prenatal attachment, and thus future parent–child attachment and child development. Practitioner summary: Many parents regularly use smartphones and tablet computers while pregnant. This qualitative study found that how devices were used either enhanced or disrupted feelings of prenatal attachment. Practitioners should be aware of potential beneficial and detrimental impacts of device use during pregnancy given implications for future attachment and child development.

BACKGROUND - OBJECTIVE The primary aims of this study were to explore within a family context: 1) parental perspectives on developmental outcomes of young children’s screen use, 2) family screen use practices, including purposes of use and strategies employed to manage screen use, and 3) how parental perspectives influence strategies used to manage screen use. The secondary aim of the study was to explore what informs family screen use practices, including how parents would like to access information about screen use for their family. METHODS Methods: Fifty-seven prenatal and infant parents, from the ORIGINS cohort, completed a semi-structured interview. Inductive thematic analysis was completed using NVivo. RESULTS Results: Participants described perspectives that screen use can both hinder and enhance child development, with parents in the prenatal stage and those with one child indicating more concerns regarding the developmental outcomes of screen use than parents in the infant stage and those with multiple children. Participants also described a variety of different parent- ,child- and family-focused purposes of screen use and strategies to manage screen use. Strategies used seemed to be informed by participants’ own experiences and recommendations from others, rather than by reported perspectives. CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: Despite holding varied perspectives regarding developmental outcomes of children’s screen use, these do not appear to influence strategies that parents employ to manage family screen use. Interventions to support beneficial screen use by young children could usefully focus on supporting parent practices directly, rather than aiming to influence practices by influencing parents’ perspectives on the developmental implications of screen use by children. CLINICALTRIAL -