Examination of psycho-motor development of children who were 6–36 months in the COVID-19 stay-at-home period

Abstract

This study aims to examine the pandemic's effect on the psycho-motor development of children aged 6–36 months during the Covid 19 pandemic period and now aged 2–5 years. This study was cross-sectional and children (n = 150) aged 2–5 years were included in the study. Data were collected using the Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory (ADSI) in 2022. The proportion of children included in the study who have general development, language-cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, and social skill-self-care development levels at a delay-suspiciously were 25.4%, 18.0%, 58.7%, 22.0%, and 25.3%, respectively. Children's overall development and specific areas of development are more positively affected by the younger age of the child. Additionally, shorter pregnancies, earlier pregnancies, and father involvement in childcare all have positive effects on child development. During the pandemic period, the fact that older children stay at home has further negatively affected their development. Fine motor development was most negatively affected.