A new study indicates that the more infants or young kids spend just within listening distance of a TV, the fewer vocal interactions they have with parents, WebMD.com reports.

This finding “may explain previous associations between television viewing and delayed language acquisition,” according to the study, WebMD.com says.

The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescnet Medicine was done by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle.

—Chuck Ross