Babies learn best through real, not video, world

Putting children in front of educational DVDs does not help boost their language skills, according to a United States study that focused on one product, the Baby Wordsworth, from the Walt Disney Company's Baby Einstein series.

While The Baby Einstein Co does not make educational claims, it notes on its Web page that the Baby Wordsworth DVD is a "playful introduction to words and sign language".

A study by researchers at the University of California, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, put the DVD to the test with 1- and 2-year-olds.