The Effect of COVID-19 on the Cognitive Development of Children
- Trisha Deshpande
- Sep 23, 2025
- 3 min read
It has become increasingly noticeable that children born before the pandemic show some stark differences from those born during the pandemic. Many appear quieter, reserved, and heavily engrossed in gadgets and television screens. Is this just a coincidence? Is there a generational gap? Are parenting techniques changing? Or is this because of the subliminal undercurrent of cognitive changes in children who have experienced the brunt of COVID-19? A recent study set out to explore exactly this.
Methodology
To assess the impact of COVID-19 on the cognitive development of children, a total of 1,247 cognitive assessments were conducted on 700 healthy, neurotypically developing children aged 3 months to 3 years between January 1, 2011, and November 30, 2021.
Additionally, they compared 525 infants aged 0–16 months, with 388 born before the pandemic and 137 during it. Cognitive ability was measured with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), which evaluates fine and gross motor control, visual perception, and expressive and receptive language through observation and performance-based testing.
Results
The findings were striking:
The researchers found that mean scores for early learning composite, verbal development, and non-verbal development were significantly reduced by more than 20 points during the pandemic.
Performing this analysis in just the infants led to the same results. Infants born since the beginning of the pandemic exhibit significantly lower cognitive functioning compared to infants born over the preceding decade.
Maternal stress was surprisingly not significantly linked to lower scores in the study.
Potential causative factors
COVID-19 didn’t directly harm most children’s health, but lockdowns, school closures, reduced play, social interaction, and family stress likely affected development.
Past research has also proven that maternal stress during pregnancy and environmental adversity can negatively impact children’s brain development.
Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and minority communities were the worst affected.
Higher maternal education, longer gestation (time in the womb), and higher birth weight were linked to better cognitive scores.
Being male was linked to lower cognitive scores compared to females.
My Take
To me, this research is indicative of many things, the most prominent of which is the brain's ability to adapt and grow in tune with its surroundings. Most of us would assume that our external environment would have little to no impact on the intricate mechanisms at play within us. Turns out that this isn't true. Our brains listen and mold themselves in accordance with our surroundings. Providing a facilitatory environment for a child's cognitive development is imperative. Lockdowns, social isolation, and school closures affected early childhood social cognition skills, including false belief understanding (the ability to recognize that others can hold beliefs that are different from one's own, especially when those beliefs are incorrect), which is critical for socio-cognitive development. Limited access to early learning activities and social experiences hampered children's verbal and motor skills. Neuroimaging showed reduced white matter development in children born during the pandemic, suggesting that pandemic stress affected the brain structure. Chronic stress in children could also lead to behavioural disorders later in life. The lower socio-economic strata are disproportionately affected in this regard. This can be attributed to higher familial stress levels and lesser availability of resources. This study should serve as a reminder: children need more than gadgets and screens. They need to step outside, interact with peers, and explore the world around them. In today’s digital age, this balance is more crucial than ever. A nurturing and supportive home environment also plays a vital role, as it directly influences a child’s stress levels and cognitive growth. Just like nutrition, social interaction, and a nurturing atmosphere are essential for a child’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
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