I wonder how many commenters here have children? A screen with moving images and sounds is absolutely hypnotic to a small child, and they will get stuck in front of it and sit staring for hours. When it is turned off, they will incessantly beg for it to be turned on, to the detriment of all other activities.
It doesn't have to be a single person or it's progenitors, but it does need to be someone who genuinely cares for the baby. When I was younger I remember my mother and father would often watch babies for other young mothers who needed time to relax. This seems like a good model, but our culture's irrational distrust of men invalidates half the pool of helpers and our growing disconnection from neighbors and other people jeopardizes the rest.