TV viewing can reduce parent-child interaction, which is important for children's development. A study found that mothers talked and interacted much more with their children during book reading and toy play than during TV watching. TV watching suppressed both the quantity and quality of communication between mothers and children. In contrast, book reading and toy play encouraged more communication. Due to these effects on parent-child interaction, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years old should not watch TV.