Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Child Cognitive Development: Initial Findings in a Longitudinal Observational Study of Child Health
Harold Saive
To: Alachua County School Board
FM: Harold Saive, Gainesvile
RE: (Study) Impact
of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Child Cognitive Development:
Initial Findings in a Longitudinal Observational Study of
Child Health
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Impact of the
COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Child Cognitive Development:
Initial Findings in a Longitudinal Observational Study of
Child Health
ABSTRACT
Since the first reports of novel coronavirus in the 2020,
public health organizations have advocated preventative
policies to limit virus, including stay-at-home orders that
closed businesses, daycares, schools, playgrounds, and
limited child learning and typical activities. Fear of
infection and possible employment loss has placed stress on
parents; while parents who could work from home faced
challenges in both working and providing full-time attentive
childcare. For pregnant individuals, fear of attending
prenatal visits also increased maternal stress, anxiety, and
depression. Not surprising, there has been concern over
how these factors, as well as missed educational
opportunities and reduced interaction, stimulation, and
creative play with other children might impact child
neurodevelopment. Leveraging a large on-going
longitudinal study of child neurodevelopment, we examined
general childhood cognitive scores in 2020 and 2021 vs. the
preceding decade, 2011-2019. We find that children born
during the pandemic have significantly reduced verbal,
motor, and overall cognitive performance compared to
children born pre-pandemic. Moreover, we find that
males and children in lower socioeconomic families have
been most affected. Results highlight that even in the
absence of direct SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 illness,
the environmental changes associated COVID-19 pandemic is
significantly and negatively affecting infant and child
development.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.10.21261846v1.full.pdf
In view of the recent Brown University study demonstrating significant loss of neurogenerative development (IQ) linked to Covid mandates, the Alachua County School board must show a cost/benefit analysis that justifies mandating masks in school children, especially when there is no conclusive scientific evidence that masks are necessary to maintain public health in Alachua County Schools.
Although the study is a survey of pre-school
children, the significant implications of the study are related
to masking issues. If the ACSB disagrees, they are tasked to
show the science that disputes this relationship.
Finally, this compelling study suggests that mask mandates have a component racism and class discrimination in the increased degree of lost neurogenerative development.
"Moreover, we find that males and
children in lower socioeconomic families have been most
affected."
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NY Post: Babies born during COVID-19 pandemic
have lower IQs: Study says
Researchers analyzed the cognitive performances of 672
children born in Rhode Island, 188 of them born well into the
pandemic (after July 2020), 308 born before it (prior to January
2019) and 176 of them born during its beginning stage (between
January 2019 and March 2020). They found that children born
during the pandemic have pronouncedly lower IQs than those
born before it.
“It’s not subtle by any stretch,” lead study author and Brown
University associate professor of pediatric research Sean Deoni
told the Guardian of the trend. “You don’t typically see things
like that, outside of major cognitive disorders.”
Authors attribute the pattern to children being cognitively
impaired from spending so much time inside with overwhelmed
parents during the past year. While many adults have managed to
tough it out, so much isolation at a critical juncture in the
mental progress of infants has likely caused lasting damage.
https://nypost.com/2021/08/13/babies-born-during-covid-19-pandemic-have-lower-iqs-study-says/
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