A new study indicated that prolonged exposure to blue light emitted by devices such as smartphone and tablets may lead to early puberty.
The research presented on 62nd Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting, discovered a connection between blue light, bone growth and pubertal development.
In the experiment, 18 male and 18 female rats were separated into three groups of six and exposed to a normal light cycle, six hours of blue light, and 12 hours of blue light, until the first signs of puberty were observed.
Additionally, Length of rats and their femurs were measured by the team, discovering that exposure to blue light resulted in growth, especially in their bones.
Dr. Aylin Kilinc Ugurlu, the lead researcher from Gazi University in Turkey said, "This is the first study to show how blue light could potentially influence physical growth and development, prompting further research into the effects of modern screen exposure on children's growth.”
“However, our data suggest that prolonged exposure to blue light accelerates both physical growth and the maturation of the growth plate, leading to early puberty," he added.
As children grow, long bones such as femur lengthen at both ends before solidifying, which stops further height growth.
Girls generally reach their full height between 14 and 16 years, while boys typically stop growing between 16 and 18 years.
Dr. Ugurlu suggested that children’s bones matured to soon, which can eventually cause them to be shorter as compared to other adults.
