New research illustrates the negative impact of the pandemic on young children

The research review by the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) analyses existing studies, carried out in the UK and across the world, looking at the impact Covid-19 has had on children from birth to five, focusing on physical activity levels, food security and diet, oral health and breastfeeding rates.

It finds:

• There has been a ‘significant’ decline in the amount of physical activity levels in young children due to the pandemic.
• Having inadequate space to play at home, as well as all adults working from home, was associated with worse physical activity levels.
• Activity levels remained lower for children from less affluent families and those from black and mixed backgrounds.
• ‘Economic issues’ and supply issues worsened food insecurity among households with children.
• More families with children accessed food banks and received emergency food parcels.
• Evidence suggests more ‘negative’ experiences of breastfeeding and higher cessation rates among women from ethnic minority groups, and those living in ‘more challenging’ circumstances.
• Routine vaccinations in infants ‘significantly’ reduced in the UK and elsewhere. Some families were unaware that routine vaccinations should continue, while others had difficulty accessing appointments.
• Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those with neurodevelopmental conditions were at risk of poorer sleep quality during the pandemic.

'Behaviour changes can be hard to reverse and have a knock-on impact'

Dr Jo Casebourne, chief executive of the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF), said, ‘The findings of this report illustrate the wide-ranging impact that the Covid pandemic has had on young children, who are in a vital stage of their development. 

‘Behaviour changes such as decreases in physical activity and a poorer diet can be hard to reverse and can have knock-on impacts on everything from obesity and diabetes to oral health and cognitive development. Unfortunately, as is too often the case, emerging evidence suggests the highest price will be paid by minority ethnic and poorer children.  

‘A child’s physical development is often overlooked when thinking about their overall early development. Evidence suggests that the impact of the pandemic on physical development is likely to be substantial, especially for vulnerable children, but to understand the picture fully, more evidence is needed to fully understand the consequences now and in the long-term, to prevent these impacts falling on an entire generation.’

The Early Years Alliance said it was 'very concerned about the extent to which children's physical development has been affected'.

Chief executive Neil Leitch said, 'While we would welcome more research into the impact of lockdowns on children’s early years, practitioners have been reporting notable differences in children’s physical development since reopening their settings in June of last year – especially in urban areas where homes are often smaller and there are fewer opportunities to play outside.

• The report is available here