Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood development assessed with the Denver II developmental screening test in a single center

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted early childhood development globally by altering social environments and limiting access to early stimulation and care. While the broader consequences of the pandemic on child development have been widely speculated, objective data from structured developmental assessments remain limited. This retrospective cross-sectional study compared developmental outcomes of children aged 0 to 6 years who underwent the Denver II Developmental Screening Test at a single child psychiatry center in Kütahya, Turkey. The study included 709 children, with 431 assessed in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 278 assessed in 2021 (during the pandemic). Developmental domains analyzed included personal-social, fine motor, language, and gross motor. Mean delay scores in the language and personal-social domains significantly increased during the pandemic period (p < 0.001), while fine motor delays significantly decreased (p < 0.001 ). No significant changes were observed in the gross motor domains or global developmental delays. Notably, the proportion of children with isolated language delays rose from 3.2% to 11.5%. Additionally, girls were found to be more affected, with significantly higher rates of developmental delays compared to boys. These findings suggest that the pandemic selectively impaired language development and personal social skills while potentially preserving or enhancing fine motor skills through increased home-based play. Public health efforts in post-pandemic recovery should prioritize early language and other interventions, especially for children and young girls exposed to the pandemic during critical language acquisition periods.