Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with and without risk for neurodevelopmental impairments.
Acta Paediatr
; 110(4): 1281-1288, 2021 Apr.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1041842
ABSTRACT
AIM:
To examine how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impacts child well-being and family functioning, particularly among children at risk for neurodevelopmental impairments.METHODS:
Families of 73 typically developing children, 54 children born very preterm (VPT) and 73 children with congenital heart disease (CHD) from two prospective cohort studies were assessed prior to (mean age 10.4 [SD 1.2] years) and during (mean age 12.8 [SD 2.0] years) the pandemic, more specifically, in April/May 2020. Child well-being and family functioning were assessed with validated, parent-reported questionnaires and tested with linear mixed models. Group comparison of child distress and parental concerns related to medical implications of COVID-19 and homeschooling, assessed with 5-point Likert scales, was done with Mann-Whitney U tests.RESULTS:
Children's psychological well-being and family functioning (both, p < 0.001) decreased significantly during the pandemic, irrespective of group. Children with CHD were reported to be more concerned about becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 than were others. Child distress due to homeschooling and parents' concerns about children's academic achievements were significantly higher in VPT and CHD children than in typically developing peers (all p < 0.001).CONCLUSION:
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacts the whole family and leads to additional distress in families with children at risk for neurodevelopmental impairments. These families should receive individualised counselling and assistance from healthcare providers and schools during the pandemic.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
/
COVID-19
/
Heart Defects, Congenital
/
Infant, Premature, Diseases
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Acta Paediatr
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Apa.15775
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