Prolonged COVID-19 related effects on early language development: A longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Linguistics
• Pediatrics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to immediate impacts on early language development.
• Long-term effects of pandemic-related changes on child development remain under-explored.
• This study longitudinally investigates language development in infants affected by the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically assess the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early language development.
• To track language acquisition milestones from infancy through toddlerhood.
• To compare developmental trajectories of pandemic-exposed infants with pre-pandemic cohorts.

Main Methods:

• Followed a cohort of infants born during the pandemic, building on prior research.
• Conducted word segmentation tasks at 12 months and word learning tasks at 20 months.
• Utilized parental reports (CDI, CSBS) for language and communication up to 30 months and the Griffiths Scales for overall development.

Main Results:

• Pandemic-exposed infants demonstrated consistent underperformance compared to pre-pandemic data.
• No word segmentation at 12 months or successful word learning at 20 months was observed.
• Lower lexical development and language/communication scores were noted at 30 months, while social communication remained unaffected.

Conclusions:

• Infants born and raised during the pandemic exhibit poorer language development.
• These language deficits persist at least until 30 months of age.
• While language acquisition was impacted, social communication skills appeared resilient.