When is a child ready for their own smartphone?

A new study looks at the health benefits of holding off on a child's smartphone by one year. Is there a "best" age to let them have their own device?

Despite the lack of subsidies for CGM devices that monitor glucose levels for those with type 2 diabetes,  research shows continuous glucose monitoring can be beneficial for those living with the condition.

There is now clear evidence that having high blood pressure as a child can influence health outcomes later in life. New clinical guidelines recommend measuring blood pressure twice during childhood and adolescence, beginning at age 7.

References

• Smartphone Acquisition and Use at Age 13 Years and Health Outcomes at Age 14 Years
• Continuous glucose monitoring versus self-monitoring of blood glucose in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, multicentre, open-label, superiority trial
• Diabetes Australia statement
• Australian Guideline for the Identification and Management of Hypertension in Children and Adolescents
• Update on access to goserelin 3.6 mg implant
• Cost of accessing mental health services for young people
• New England Journal of Medicine: Meningococcal B Vaccine to Prevent Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection
• More than 11,500 cyclosporiasis cases reported in 41 states: CDC