Children, in their earliest years, should have every possible advantage at their disposal. This means getting the right foods into their systems, making sure they get the proper rest, and otherwise nurturing them in a healthy home environment.

Of equal importance is keeping young kids away from negative forces and influences. Sharp objects, adult medicines, and matches are all obvious things to put safely away. However, there are other elements that can be harmful to children, even if the harm isn't immediately obvious.

This is where the information from a new study becomes important to the parents of young kids. According to JAMA Pediatrics, toddlers who have even moderate exposure to electronic devices can suffer developmentally.

What to know about the findings from JAMA Pediatrics

Toddlers who are one year old may struggle in the following areas by age two if they have regular exposure to screens on phones, computers, tablets, and TVs:

• Social/personal skills
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Fine motor abilities

At a time when technology plays such a huge role in people's home and professional lives, there's been somewhat of a lack of studies into how this technology impacts toddlers.

Though the findings make it clear that young children actually shouldn't be spending time playing with phones, tablets, or watching TV.

Officials, in reaction to this study, maintain that kids need to engage in activities that allow them to practice speaking, moving, etc. Simply watching this play out on a screen won't work for very young children, as passive observation doesn't replace real-life interactions.

Better alternatives for toddlers' development

While JAMA Pediatrics' findings shine a light on what to avoid, there are also some great tools that parents can use to put their kids on the course to healthy development.

Exposure to toys, coloring books, and other age-appropriate material can help toddlers progress as they should. Parents interacting with their young children, asking them to locate certain objects and playing matching games with them, can also go a long way.

Finally, health officials maintain that electronic screen time for older children may pose less harm once they've gone through the most crucial developmental stages.