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The Kids Are Alright (?). Infants' Development and COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Eleonora Ferrari1, Lucia Palandri1, Laura Lucaccioni2,3,4

  • 1Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

International Journal of Public Health
|July 7, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Infant development scores, including language and social-emotional skills, were significantly lower during pandemic social distancing. This study highlights the impact of isolation on early childhood development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented social distancing measures globally.
  • Understanding the impact of these measures on early childhood development is crucial for public health.
  • Six-month-old infants represent a critical developmental stage sensitive to environmental changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the global development of six-month-old infants before and during pandemic-related social distancing.
  • To identify specific developmental domains most affected by restrictive measures.
  • To analyze the relationship between the severity of restrictions and infant development scores.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional nested study design was employed.
  • Infants were assessed using the Griffiths Scales of Child Development (GSCD) between September 2019 and April 2021.
  • Infants were categorized into pre-COVID and COVID groups based on evaluation dates and local restrictions.

Main Results:

  • A total of 104 healthy, term-born infants were evaluated.
  • Infants assessed during the pandemic (COVID group) showed significantly lower General Development Scores (GDS) compared to the pre-COVID group (p < 0.001).
  • The language and personal-social-emotional subareas were most affected, with a trend of decreasing GDS correlating with increased restriction severity.

Conclusions:

  • Pandemic-induced social distancing was associated with a reduction in infant development scores.
  • Language and personal-social-emotional development appear particularly vulnerable to isolation.
  • Further research is needed to inform public health policies for infants and families during prolonged isolation.

Keywords:
Griffiths development scalesSARS-CoV-2child developmentinfantmental processesphysical distancingpsychomotor performancepublic health

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