TV doesn't make children age 2 and under any smarter, but it doesn't hurt them either, according to research done at Children's Hospital Boston and the Harvard Medical Center. The study is published in this month's issue of Pediatrics.

While all those shows might be an entertaining diversion for young kids, they don't improve a child's language and visual motor skills. This reaffirms the advice I've heard from my daughter's pediatrician, child development experts, my own instincts as a mom and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends no TV for kids under the age of 2.

"Contrary to marketing claims and some parents' perception that television viewing is beneficial to children's brain development, no evidence of such benefit was found, "said Marie Evans Schimidt, lead author of the study, in a press release.

The study looked at 872 kids who were tracked until 3 years of age. Researchers said that more follow-up studies need to be done to tease out the overall effects of TV and video content on young kids. 

"TV exposure in infants has been associated with increased risk of obesity, attention problems and decreased sleep quality," said Michael Rich, the pediatrician who directs the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's, in the release. "Parents need to understand that infants and toddlers do not learn or benefit in any way from viewing TV at an early age."

Read more about the study by clicking here.