Coronavirus isolation, stress shaping children’s formative years

elkgroveMarch 15, 2022

Donise Keller, a child caregiver in Antioch, cares for a child who is facing some developmental delays. The 3-and-a-half-year-old doesn’t talk much and doesn’t like to interact with other children. She fears she may be one of many young people whose growth has been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, which has dominated her short life.

“These kids have been too isolated,” said Keller, who has worked in the child care industry for 20 years. “Being close to other children is what motivates them to grow and develop. If you’re at home with your family all day, especially as an only child, there are no other children who can inspire you and shape your behavior. “

Emerging research suggests that some infants and young children may develop differently than they did before COVID-19 disrupted society. Although they may not have been exposed to the virus, experts say, their formative years have been shaped by the impact of stress, trauma and social isolation.

That’s why about 3 in 4 parents in California with 5-year-olds fear that their children’s development will suffer because of the pandemic, according to a survey, and some advocates fear that the effects could be lasting if no action is taken. remedy. the situation.

“This is a big concern, not a surprise. When we think of adverse childhood experiences, probably all the children who lived through the pandemic had an adverse childhood experience,” said Scott Moore, head of Kidango, a nonprofit organization. profit that runs many child care centers in the Bay Area. “Science has shown that trauma disrupts normal brain development in young children, so children with a high number of these experiences are likely to have developmental delays.”

The COVID-19 pandemic leaves a legacy of cognitive and developmental delays

A recent group of studies examines this unexpected legacy of the pandemic. A Columbia University study found an increase in developmental delays. Another study, from Brown University, found significantly lower cognitive scores or IQs among this cohort. Other research has shown a link between increased maternal stress during pregnancy and changes in your baby’s developing brain.

By the way, the pandemic affected every child differently. Some children are experiencing developmental delays while others may have thrived. But overall, the data suggests that the consequences of the pandemic include everything from growing poverty and declining mental health to loss of learning.

These problems affect all children, of course, but babies and young children may be the most vulnerable because they have never known life without COVID-19. The first three years of life are often described as the brain’s window of opportunity, experts say, a time of great promise but also of great risk. The most critical growth occurs at the beginning, with the size of the brain doubling in the first year.

“This busy period for the brain is disproportionately important,” said Rahil Briggs, national director of HealthySteps, a pediatric care program. “While it may be the basis for resilience, as new neural pathways are created and others are pruned, it is also an incredibly vulnerable time, leaving children susceptible to developmental disruptions.”

One of the biggest problems during the pandemic is that babies may not have enough of the “serve and return” interactions that help build brain architecture, experts say. When babies cry or babble and a caregiver responds, neural connections are strengthened in the child’s brain. This early exposure to speech shapes brain connectivity for later language learning.

“Many of us know from experience that babies learn to speak by observing our mouths and lips,” Moore said. “The loss of connection and interaction comes from quarantine and the use of masks.”

According to experts, a stable and calm environment, difficult to achieve during the pandemic, helps to foster the skills of executive functions, such as concentration and planning and socio-emotional health. Stressed caregivers may not be as focused on the needs of children as they should be. Poverty is another key issue. One study found that babies from low-income families experienced the greatest decline in cognitive function.

“Babies form secure attachments with their caregivers that allow them to feel safe enough to explore and interact, which is how they develop, both physically and mentally,” Moore said. “When your childcare closes or your caregiver is ill or your father has to be quarantined, this disrupts your safety and therefore slows down your development.”

Children are far from immune to the emotions of their caregivers. In fact, they are real radar dishes, experts say, that pick up subtle changes in body language, facial expression and tone of voice. That is a double-edged sword.

“We know from research that children whose parents are depressed and unable to respond to their social offerings are often very distressed,” said Heidi M. Feldman, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine. “In this pandemic, I think children are living a variant of this stressful situation.”

However, while any decrease in brain growth is worrisome, developmental obstacles can be overcome, experts say, if the level of commitment and stimulation increases.

“We don’t necessarily expect developmental differences at 6 months of age to be predictive of the future,” said Lauren Shuffrey, a developmental neuroscientist and co-author of the Columbia study. “Child development is shaped by many contextual factors.”

This is why many experts advise against drawing negative conclusions about the lifelong consequences of these new studies. Shuffrey, who has a 2-year-old son, suggests taking a longer look at parenting during a pandemic.

“Our findings do not necessarily indicate that this generation will be harmed later in life,” Shuffrey said. “It will be important to continue to monitor the generation of children born during the pandemic to provide support as needed. Parents should always discuss with their pediatrician any concerns about their child’s development.”

One of the reasons children are so resilient, experts say, is that they are ready to bloom when they feed.

“Babies recover. If addressed early with early intervention and mental health services, developmental delays can be resolved, and even the effects of trauma can be cured,” Moore said. “California has just made historic investments in child care, preschool, mental health and special education. We need to make sure it reaches the children who need it most: babies.”

Keller, for example, has no doubt that the child he or she cares for can overcome his or her speech and social problems with time and therapy.

“These kids may need different benchmarks and may need more resources to help them catch up, but I absolutely believe they can,” he said. “We just need to take a few extra steps and find the help they need.”