New Study Says Baby Einstein DVDs May Hinder Learning, May Vindicate UW Researchers

Warning: DVDs may not help your kids learn. But might help them grow a sweet 'stache.

​When last we left the makers of Baby Einstein -- the DVDs aimed at turning toddlers into crawling polymaths -- they were suing the University of Washington over some unfavorable press.

Founders William Clark and his wife Julie Aigner-Clark have spent years trying to force UW to reveal raw data of a 2007 study suggesting that infant-aimed DVDs could impede childhood development. The research, conducted by two UW scientists, was, needless to say, not good for Baby Einstein's business.

But the Clarks said the public records suit wasn't about money; they'd long since cashed out. It was now about their legacy. A legacy that may be further tarnished by another report, this one seemingly vindicating the results of the UW researchers.

From Slatest, Slate's daily news tracker (and originally from Science Daily):

According to a study about to be published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, there is no evidence that babies (12- to 24-month-olds) who watch "educational baby videos" actually learn anything from them.

In a study of 96 children, researchers concluded that babies who had watched educational DVDs weren't any more likely than their screen-deprived counterparts to use the specific words that had been emphasized in the DVDs, nor were they better at general language learning. In fact, they tended to have a smaller vocabulary than babies who hadn't spent as much time in front of the TV.

Researchers aren't sure whether that's because parents tend to show babies educational DVDs only if they're already concerned about language-learning or whether it's because the DVDs themselves somehow impede the learning process. But whatever the cause, they're cautioning parents not to expect much from the DVDs, and to consider limiting TV time for their toddlers.