The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on various aspects of life, including early childhood development. A cohort study in Japan found that children exposed to the pandemic were 4.39 months behind in development at age 5 years compared with those not exposed to the pandemic. The study also revealed that variations in development were greater during the pandemic vs the prepandemic period, regardless of age.
Impact on Early Childhood Development
The study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood development. Researchers compared the development of children exposed to the pandemic with those who were not exposed, finding that those exposed were significantly behind in their development by the age of 5 years. Additionally, the study showed that the variations in development were more pronounced during the pandemic period compared to the prepandemic era, regardless of the children’s ages.