Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Childhood Development Compared to Age-Matched Standards

COVID-19 caused a significant reduction in social interactions. There is concern over how this has impacted childhood development, particularly for children of lower socioeconomic status (SES). Prior research suggests that without adequate social exposure, children will have increased difficulty in meeting developmental milestones. We will assess children's milestones at 18, 24, and 30 months using parent/guardian surveys. Recruitment will involve postcards and social media. Parents/guardians will complete three surveys covering cognitive, social, emotional, speech, language, fine motor, and gross motor development. A retrospective chart review will obtain data on milestones at 6, 9, 12, and 15 months. The developmental score of participants will be compared to accepted average developmental scores obtained from the literature. Preliminary results show that the developmental milestones of children at 15, 18, and 24 months have not been affected by the reduction in social interactions. This could be due to a variety of cases including that the children were able to catch up to their peers in terms of developmental milestones. Retrospective chart review is still being conducted to confirm the findings. This study will shed light on the possible impacts that COVID-induced isolation has had on development. The ubiquitous nature of the pandemic’s isolation makes uncovering its effects on childhood development essential to devising and planning for the educational needs of youth. Through early identification, our research may provide insights into where to focus educational efforts to ensure newborns born during the COVID-19 pandemic avoid long-term developmental deficiencies.