Put the phone away, say hello to your children

In Richard Fitzpatrick’s article (Life/Style, Jan 13) he eulogises on the joys of a smartphone, and how when his toddler is bored she can use the Baby TV app.

Paediatric professionals would advise under 4’s should be kept well away from all such devices, as this is the vital period for speech and imagination development.

School teachers I have talked to have noticed a sharp reduction in the vocabulary and the attention spans of primary school children; they put this down to children and other family members being absorbed in electronic devices.