HEALTH
Generation How to help pandemic babies thrive Story by Nicole Blume and photos by Jayde Silbernagel
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s we approach the second anniversary of the pandemic, parents of children born during this unique time may have questions about their child’s social and emotional development. Questions like: How has social distancing affected my infant? Has my baby received enough human contact to recognize facial emotions? Will my toddler’s speech and language development be delayed? Will they know how to share, care and play cooperatively when they’ve missed out on preschool, play dates and birthday parties?
Dr. Jessica Goyke and her “pandemic baby” Rory near Dillon Falls.
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For local parents like Dr. Jessica Goyke, a chiropractor and mother of 14-month-old Rory, this issue is top of mind. “We were happy to find out we were pregnant in early March of 2020 with our first son,” says Goyke. “When the pandemic began, my first concern was missing the opportunities to connect with other pregnant moms in prenatal yoga classes or birthing prep. The reality of this really hit me when Rory was born and we didn’t have the opportunities I dreamed of for him growing, developing and thriving. I wondered how this might affect him physically, mentally and emotionally.” These are valid questions. We know that young children experience explosive brain growth early on that lays the foundation for critical cognitive, emotional and social skills. Ample research in pediatric cognitive science supports the vital importance of this time for later health, development and well-being. According to the nonprofit organization Zero to Three, “A child’s brain undergoes an amazing period of development from birth to age three—producing more than a million neural connections each second. The development of the brain is influenced by many factors, including a child’s relationships, experiences and environment.” So, what happens when a global pandemic and widespread economic shutdowns interrupt this developmental window of opportunity for brain growth? The bad news first, without sugarcoating it: An alarming U.S. study on child neurodevelopment claims that children born during the Covid-19 pandemic have a shocking 22-point lower IQ than babies born before the pandemic, with effects especially pronounced for male children and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds (Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Child Cognitive Development: Initial Findings in a Longitudinal Observational Study of Child Health). This large, on-going longitudinal study at Brown University assessed approximately 700 healthy children aged between three months and three years on key metrics, including babbling, crawling and rolling over in babies' and fine and gross motor control, visual reception and expressive language for toddlers using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning system, which converts these metrics into IQ scores. According to the results, participating children displayed significantly reduced verbal, motor and overall cognitive performance compared to their pre-pandemic-born peers. Researchers theorize that the combination of face masking, quarantining and other social distancing measures, school and playground closures and other policies meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 have contributed to these adverse effects.
