HOW DID THE PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS’ SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS? A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY FROM TÜRKİYE

Abstract

Objective: Limited socialisation during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the factors that may affect children’s social and communication skills. In this study, we assessed the social communication skills of children aged 1-2 years during the COVID-19 pandemic period and compare them with the pre-pandemic era. Material and Methods: Children who were two years old before the pandemic (Group 1) and children who were two years old during the pandemic quarantine (Group 2) were included in the study. For both groups, demographic information, anthropometric measurements at birth, ages at reaching developmental milestones, Social Communication Area Screening Test for Infants (SCASI) scores at 15 and 24 months [total, pre-speech skills (F1a), vocabulary (F1b), awareness skills scores (F2; n)], and screen time exposure were collected from medical records. Comparative analyses of these variables between the two groups were performed. Results: A total of 202 children (Group 1; n=123, Group 2; n=79) were included in the study. The rate of girls was higher in Group 2 (p=0.041). No significant difference was found in terms of birth weeks, birth height, weight, head circumference measurements and the initial times of head holding, sitting without support and walking independently. The screen exposure duration for ≥2 hours at 15 and 24 months was higher in Group 2 (p=0.110; p=0.014, respectively). In the Social Communication assessments, the rate of children with risky SCASI results was higher in Group 2, both at 15 and 24 months (p=0.312; p=0.004, respectively). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic might have an impact on the social communication skills of children aged 1–2 years. It is important to monitor the development of communication skills as a part of paediatric health monitoring and to closely follow up with early interventions.