Shillong, September 24: A study conducted on mice has revealed a potential connection between exposure to blue light, such as that emitted by smartphones and tablets, and early puberty in males.
This research, presented at the 61st Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, sheds light on the impact of environmental factors, like screen time, on early puberty and testicular tissue. It also holds the promise of informing future prevention strategies for children.
As per IANS, early puberty in children often lacks a clear cause, with genetic factors, brain issues, or problems in glands like the thyroid, adrenal, or sex glands being some potential contributors. In recent years, there has been an increase in early puberty onset for both girls and boys, possibly exacerbated by the heightened use of blue light-emitting devices during the Covid-19 pandemic, although assessing this in children is challenging.
In this study, researchers from Ankara Bilkent City Hospital and Gazi University in Turkey examined 18 male rats at 21 days old, divided into three groups of six. These groups were exposed to either a regular light cycle, six hours, or 12 hours of blue light. The results showed that male rats exposed to blue light exhibited early signs of puberty, with prolonged exposure leading to even earlier onset. Moreover, they displayed impaired sperm development and damage to testicular tissue.
Dr. Aylin Kilinc Ugurlu from Ankara Bikent City Hospital, the lead researcher, noted, “For the first time, we found a direct relationship between blue light exposure and early puberty in male rats.” The findings align with prior research on female rats, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how blue light may influence puberty in both genders.
While the study suggests a potential link between blue light exposure and early puberty, the researchers stress that further research is required. Dr. Ugurlu emphasized that this study was conducted on rats, and direct implications for humans cannot be drawn. Nonetheless, it lays the groundwork for exploring the health consequences of increasing screen time in our modern society.
The next phase of research will focus on assessing the impact of blue light exposure before puberty in adult rats.