Covid, delays in children’s development due to restrictions. I study

Infants and children under the age of five have experienced modest but significant delays in developmental milestones due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. This was revealed by a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, conducted by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. The team, led by Sara Johnson, examined possible links between developmental milestone screening scores and pandemic-related limitations.

I study

The data, obtained within the Comprehensive Health and Decision Information System (CHADIS), are based on information collected from over 5,000 pediatric practices and healthcare providers in 48 US states. “Although small changes have emerged – comments Johnson – the delays in the fundamental stages of development are not so significant. We know that the spread of the new coronavirus has disrupted the lives of many people, and it is important to understand how these alterations have had repercussions on children”. Most of the young patients experienced increased stress, anxiety and social isolation, due to the inability to carry out normal daily activities. Previous studies had hypothesized consequences on sleep and the risk of childhood obesity, but the effects of the pandemic had remained rather nebulous. As part of the work, experts considered the fundamental state of development of 50,205 children aged 0 to 5 years. Comparing data collected before and after the pandemic, scholars found a three percent decline in communication skills and a two percent decline in problem-solving and social skills.

Motor skills

No differences emerged regarding motor skills. Furthermore, between 0 and 12 months, the authors did not notice reductions in development relating to the social sphere, but the values ​​for the other two aspects were comparable. “We did not expect similar data for children and infants – reports Johnson – and we also found that parental worries and stress did not increase much during the period of restrictions. Overall, these results are reassuring, but the implications long-term outcomes of child development remain unclear.” The research team specifies that other stress factors, such as substance abuse by mothers during pregnancy, were not taken into account in the context of work. The analysis also did not take into account premature births, so the developmental impacts of this subgroup may be underestimated. “We hope that our work – concludes the author – can contribute to the planning of targeted interventions for future emergency situations, which take into account the needs of the little ones”.