The potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child growth and development: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective This was a systematic review of studies that examined the impact of epidemics or social restriction on mental and developmental health in parents and children/adolescents. Source of data The PubMed, WHO COVID-19, and SciELO databases were searched on March 15, 2020, and on April 25, 2020, filtering for children (0–18 years) and humans. Synthesis of data The tools used to mitigate the threat of a pandemic such as COVID-19 may very well threaten child growth and development. These tools — such as social restrictions, shutdowns, and school closures — contribute to stress in parents and children and can become risk factors that threaten child growth and development and may compromise the Sustainable Development Goals. The studies reviewed suggest that epidemics can lead to high levels of stress in parents and children, which begin with concerns about children becoming infected. These studies describe several potential mental and emotional consequences of epidemics such as COVID-19, H1N1, AIDS, and Ebola: severe anxiety or depression among parents and acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress, anxiety disorders, and depression among children. These data can be related to adverse childhood experiences and elevated risk of toxic stress. The more adverse experiences, the greater the risk of developmental delays and health problems in adulthood, such as cognitive impairment, substance abuse, depression, and non-communicable diseases. Conclusion Information about the impact of epidemics on parents and children is relevant to policy makers to aid them in developing strategies to help families cope with epidemic/pandemic-driven adversity and ensure their children’s healthy development.

A Qualitative Study of Child and Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ireland

“…Parental stress caused by the pandemic-related factors may have a more significant impact on younger children, which can result in behavioural problems and can have a substantial effect on children with developmental disabilities [20]. Research also shows that increases in parental stress levels during a pandemic directly interfere with a child's quality of life [21]. This systematic review of the impact of pandemics reveals that quality and duration of sleep and decreased levels of physical and outdoor activities can, and does, prevent child development from reaching its full potential in times of crisis.…”

Establishing a Theory-Based Multi-Level Approach for Primary Prevention of Mental Disorders in Young People

“…Young people are among those displaying the largest increases in psychological distress and mental ill health [ 4 , 38 ]. Evidence shows that conditions related to COVID-19 and previous pandemics (e.g., quarantine and social isolation) are linked with acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioural problems, anxiety, and depression among young people [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ].…”

Quality early childhood education for all and the Covid-19 crisis: A viewpoint

“…The lockdowns have had negative consequences for the mental and physical health of children and adults alike (Gromada et al 2020 ; UNESCO 2020b ). Another risk factor is family disruption due to unemployment and financial instability, illness, death of family members, and the stress of the pandemic itself (Gromada et al 2020 ; Araújo et al 2020 ). Parents teaching their children at home must also cope with children’s behavioral issues, which become more prominent during hard times.…”

“…Indeed, there is strong evidence to suggest that while social-distancing measures may be effective in curbing the rise in new infections, they have led to increased anxiety and depression in children (Gromada et al 2020 ), many of whom have been experiencing PTSD symptoms (Xie et al 2020 ). Self- or government-imposed social distancing measures have also created more negative educational outcomes (Buzzi et al 2020 ) and contributed to greater stress for both children and parents (Araújo et al 2020 ). Other studies show that child maltreatment (Katz and Fallon 2020 ) during the pandemic has led to an increase in the number of child-abuse injuries (Caron et al 2020 ; Kovler et al 2020 ).…”