2023-09-25 14:12:02
Eye fatigue, mood disorders and sleep disruption: the harmful effects of blue light on health have already been the subject of numerous scientific studies. But researchers today reveal that this specific light emitted by the digital screens of smartphones and tablets might also be linked to early puberty in both boys and girls.
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A recent study from the University of Genoa reported a significant increase in cases of early puberty among girls during the Covid-19 pandemic, almost as much between March 2020 and June 2021 as in the previous four years. . Among the risk factors suggested by the researchers were poor eating habits adopted during the health crisis, a drop in physical activity, sleep disorders, and an increase in time spent in front of screens. Nearly two months following the publication of this work, a new study reveals that the blue light emitted by these same screens might be directly linked to early puberty.
Presented at the 61st annual meeting of the European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE), this new research attempted to determine whether the blue light to which children are increasingly exposed might lead to early puberty. A phenomenon “difficult to assess in children”. This is why the team of researchers from Ankara Bilkent City Hospital and Gazi University, Turkey, analyzed the effects of blue light on 18 male rats aged 21 days. Which were divided into three groups: six were exposed to a normal light cycle (natural rhythm of day-night lighting), six others to six hours of blue light, and the last group to twelve hours of blue light.
An impact on puberty and reproduction
This work, which was the subject of a publication in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, suggest that the first signs of puberty occur earlier in male rats exposed to blue light. The researchers concluded in particular that the longer the rats were exposed to blue light, the more their puberty appeared prematurely, and that it also had a negative impact on the development of sperm and on testicular tissues, which were damaged. Faced with these results, scientists believe that the screen time to which children are exposed might play a role in early puberty, requiring the implementation of actions to prevent these harms.
Please note, however, that the use of male rats for the purposes of this work, and not children, appears to be a significant limitation of this study. This is recognized by the authors of this work. “I would like to emphasize that this is a rat study and the direct results cannot be interpreted for humans. However, we provide an experimental basis to further study the health consequences of ever-increasing screen time in modern society,” explains Dr. Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu from Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, in a statement.
Just a year ago, the same group of researchers conducted identical research on female rats, reaching similar conclusions regarding an association between blue light and early puberty. Scientists now need to deepen their work to determine whether this specific light can have long-term consequences.
“We want to expose male and female rats to blue light before puberty and understand its long-term effects on reproductive organ damage and fertility. Ultimately, this research might lead to preventative measures and help enrich ongoing discussions regarding how modern lifestyles affect physiological development and long-term health,” concludes Dr. Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu.
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