COVID-19 babies: auto-videosomnography and parent reports of infant sleep, screen time, and parent well-being in 2019 vs 2020

Abstract

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted families, yet studies on its effects on infants and their parents have thus far been sparse and based mostly on retrospective parent reporting. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the impact of COVID-19 living conditions on infant and parent sleep, as well as infant screen exposure, parent daytime sleepiness, and parent depression levels, using multi-method assessment. Methods Infant and parent data collected in 2020 were compared with a matched cohort collected in 2019. The total sample included 1518 US infants aged 1–18 months ( M = 8.5, SD = 4.6; 54% boys). Auto-videosomnography metrics were obtained from the 14-day period prior to survey completion (number of analyzed nights: M = 12.11 SD = 2.66 in the 2019 cohort; and M = 11.91 SD = 2.41 in the 2020 cohort). Parents completed online questionnaires regarding their infant's sleep and screen exposure, as well as their own sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and depression levels. Results Compared to 2019, infants in 2020 slept ∼40 min more per night on average, as indicated by auto-videosomnography. Infants additionally had earlier sleep timing, and increased parent-reported sleep-onset latency and nocturnal wakefulness. Infant screen time rose by 18.3 min per day for older infants, but remained stable for younger infants. Parents reported lower daytime sleepiness and higher depression symptomology during 2020, whereas no change was apparent in their sleep quality ratings. Conclusions Restricted living conditions during COVID-19 in the USA led to increased infant screen exposure and parental depression, but also to increased infant sleep duration and reduced parent sleepiness. Future research is needed to examine the mechanistic pathways through which COVID-19 impacted on infant and parent well-being.

Association of Excessive Screen Time in Children with Language Delay During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

“…Pairwise comparisons indicated that daily screen exposure was significantly greater in 2020 for older infants (13-18 months old; mean difference ¼ 18,3 minutes, SE ¼ 4,6, p < .001), whereas differences were not significant for infants 12 months or younger. This study can describe that lockdown increase exposure of screen to children [13].…”

“…Additionally, a significant age-bytime interaction effect was found (SE ¼ .04). Pairwise comparisons indicated that daily screen exposure was significantly greater in 2020 for older infants (13-18 months old; mean difference ¼ 18,3 min, SE ¼ 4.6, p < .001), whereas differences were not significant for infants 12 months or younger [13]. A study by Nyström C et al (2020) reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, Swedish children's physical activity, time spent outside on weekdays and weekend days, and screen time significantly increased (+53; +124; +68; +30 minutes per day, respectively, all p ≤ .001) [14].…”

Association between maternal and infant screen time with child growth and development: A longitudinal study

“…Beyond the development of the WHO guidelines, sedentary screen time has received renewed interest recently as social distancing guidelines for the COVID‐19 pandemic forced many young children to stay home and required older children to engage in active screen time for education purposes. Amidst changing guidance, disruptions in formal childcare, and limited opportunities for active play, parents reported higher screen time for infants, toddlers, 40 and preschoolers compared to before the pandemic 41,42 . Indeed, children born during the pandemic have lower motor skills and developmental scores relative to children born before the pandemic 43 .…”

How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected children and adolescents’ sleep habits: a systematic review

“…However, only nine found a significant difference in bedtime and/or wake-up time before and during confinement [17,18,42,79,82,132], one study did not find [117], and another found a significant difference only on weekdays [52]. One study found haste in sleep and wake-up time, however, subjects were 8.5 ± 4.6 months old [72]. In addition, one study found that the difference in the sleep duration between weekdays and weekends disappeared, while others that assessed the difference did not compare weekdays and weekends, only before and during quarantine [26].…”