The findings linked the early risk of puberty with accelerated bone growth and bone aging caused by blue light exposure

New Delhi: Even as children are increasingly exposed to screens from a young age, a new study in rats found that long-term exposure to blue light, emitted from smartphones or tablets, can lead to early puberty.

The findings linked the early risk of puberty with accelerated bone growth and bone aging caused by exposure to blue light. The research, presented at the 62nd annual meeting of the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology in Liverpool, is the first to explore the link between bone growth and pubertal development.

“This is the first study to show how blue light can potentially affect physical growth and development, prompting further research into the effects of modern screen exposure on children’s growth,” said lead researcher Dr Aylin Ugurlu, from Gazi University in Turkey.

Because the study was conducted in rats, “we cannot be sure that these findings would be replicated in children, but our data suggest that long-term exposure to blue light accelerates both physical growth and maturation of the growth plate, leading to early puberty,” Ugurlu noted .

As children grow, they develop long bones such as the femur, which gradually lengthen at each end. This eventually solidifies stopping growth in height. While girls reach their maximum height between the ages of 14 and 16, boys finish their growth between the ages of 16 and 18.

However, recent studies have shown an increase in early puberty in both girls and boys. The studies show that children can grow quickly in the beginning but often stop growing earlier than usual. One factor may be the increased use of blue light-emitting devices, Ugurlu said.

The study was performed on 18 male and 18 female rats aged 21 days. These were divided into three groups of six and exposed to either a normal light cycle, six hours or 12 hours of blue light until the first signs of puberty.

The team measured their length and femurs and found that the rats exposed to blue light had faster growth, especially in their legs. “This means their bones mature prematurely, potentially causing them to be shorter than average as adults,” Ugurlu said, stressing the need for more studies.