TV’s effect on the under-3 set

“Arthur” and “Barney” are OK for toddler TV-watching. But not “Rugrats” and certainly not “Power Rangers,” reports a new study of early TV-watching and future attention problems.

The research involved children younger than 3, so TV is mostly a no-no anyway, according to the experts. But if TV is allowed, it should be of the educational variety, according to the study by University of Washington researchers that appeared Monday in November’s issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Every hour per day that kids under 3 watched violent child-oriented entertainment, their risk doubled for attention problems five years later, the study found. Even nonviolent kids’ shows such as “Rugrats” and “The Flintstones” carried a still substantial risk for attention problems, though slightly lower.

On the other hand, educational shows, including “Arthur,” “Barney” and “Sesame Street,” had no association with future attention problems.