Background:The COVID-19 pandemic has created new cultural norms with pervasive societal implications. Families have experienced a heightened amount of physical, psychological, emotional, and financial stress. Infants and children living with stress have the potential for delayed developmental milestones, difficulty with emotional regulation, and social or behavioral issues.Purpose: This study aims to determine if the pandemic has affected developmental outcomes in infants and toddlers.Methodology: Prepandemic and postpandemic developmental (ASQ-3) scores were obtained from charts of 1,024 patients (6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months) from two pediatric practices.Results: There were no significant differences in prepandemic and postpandemic ASQ-3 scores for the overall sample. Age-group analysis showed statistically significant differences in domain scores. Postpandemic problemsolving scores decreased among 6-month-olds while increasing among 24-month-olds. Categorization by score interpretation categories showed a slight decrease in postpandemic scores in the communication domain among 6and 12-month-olds.
Conclusions:The pandemic has the potential to affect childhood development. However, the results of this study are reassuring, showing only slight differences in developmental scores prepandemic versus postpandemic. More studies are needed to establish causation and possible trends in future developmental trajectories.Implications: An increased focus on communication screening and promotion of language and communication skills in young children postpandemic is needed. Education about the importance of parent-child engagement, nurturing relationships, opportunities for free-play and exploration, and caregiver support and stress reduction will continue to be of paramount importance.
An increase in competition for nurse practitioner preceptors and United States–based clinical practicum sites along with an increase in required direct patient care clinical hours demand innovative methods for gaining valuable nurse practitioner clinical experiences. Involving nurse practitioner students in medical mission trips to low-resource countries and follow-up telehealth clinics have been beneficial for all involved. Guatemala is a developing country in Latin America that has a high rate of poverty, malnutrition, and a lack of health care. Annual medical mission trips are beneficial in meeting the health care needs of Guatemalans but lack the frequent follow-up necessary to promote a more sustained impact. A monthly telehealth program was established in a rural area of Guatemala to promote the continuity of care for children with malnutrition. This article discusses associated barriers, strategies to overcome those barriers, and the inclusion of nurse practitioner students to meet the needs of the Guatemalan children with malnutrition using a telehealth program.
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