Difficulties in concentrating, following instructions and managing their emotions at the age of four are revealed to be faced by children born during the restrictive measures of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the conclusion reached by a new scientific study published in the medical journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The researchers estimate that the particularly limited social environment in which they spent the first year of life may have affected important skills related to their daily functioning and development, while pointing to the need for continuous monitoring of this generation of children and, where necessary, the provision of additional support at school and in the family.
These children experienced a "particularly disturbed" first year of life, as the pandemic drastically limited social contacts from March 23, 2020 to July 19, 2021.
At that time, strict government restrictions were in place, such as avoiding contact with friends and family, keeping a safe distance, mandatory use of masks, stopping children's activities as well as closing recreation areas, depriving children of many opportunities to socialize.
A large scientific sample in England
The research was carried out by scientists at City St George's, University of London, who evaluated 205 children born in England during the first lockdown, from March 23 to June 23, 2020. This is the first study to look at such a large sample of school-age children born during the period of restrictive measures in Britain.
The results showed that the children showed lower levels of executive function, i.e. the cognitive skills necessary for planning, problem-solving, self-control and adaptation to new situations.
In their article, the researchers characteristically state:
"This study highlights the need for continuous monitoring of the group of children born during the restrictive measures due to COVID-19.
Additional resources may be required for school and family interventions in order to meet the executive needs of these children."
Standardized tests of language skills and non-verbal reasoning ability were used to assess the children. At the same time, parents completed special questionnaires about children's emotional control, functional memory, ability to plan and organize, independent problem solving, as well as their fine and gross motor skills.
Concentration and skills
Preliminary findings showed that executive functions, as assessed by parents and caregivers, were below pre-pandemic levels, but also lower than those that would be expected based on children's performance in non-verbal reasoning.
It is characteristic that about one in three children in the sample was assessed as having needs related to executive functions.
According to the researchers, the findings suggest that limited social diversity in the early years of life likely affected important everyday skills.
This means that many children have difficulty concentrating and completing an activity, remembering or following instructions, resisting distractions, or adjusting their behaviour when receiving feedback.
Language development of lockdown children
The picture was more complex in terms of language development. Overall language performance was generally normal or even higher than expected for the children's age. However, when the scientists compared this performance with each child's nonverbal reasoning ability, they found that expressive language – the ability to use words to express thoughts and feelings – was lower than expected.
The researchers estimate that comprehensible language, i.e. the ability to understand what a child hears, was likely protected thanks to more time and increased communication with parents and caregivers during lockdowns. In contrast, the development of expressive language may have been negatively affected by the absence of diverse social interactions with other individuals outside the immediate family environment.
In contrast, children's motor skills were found to be at the expected levels for their age, with no significant deviations from pre-pandemic standards.
The researchers themselves point out, however, that the study is observational and therefore cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship. In addition, there was no matching group of children for direct comparison, while executive functions and motor skills were based on parent and caregiver reports rather than direct assessment, which may affect outcomes. At the same time, the sample was self-selected and, although it included families from different demographic, ethnic and geographical backgrounds across England, the participants generally had a higher level of education than the average population, with around 75% of parents having a university degree, which could affect some of the performance recorded.
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