Children born during the first COVID-19 lockdown in England may experience greater difficulties with attention, following instructions and regulating their emotions by the age of four, according to a new study published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Researchers from City St George's, University of London assessed 205 children born between 23 March and 23 June 2020, during England's first national lockdown. They found that many children had lower levels of executive functioning—a set of cognitive skills responsible for planning, attention, working memory, self-control and flexible thinking.

The researchers note that babies born during the pandemic experienced a "uniquely disrupted" first year of life, when strict public health measures—including social distancing, limited contact with relatives and friends, closure of parent-and-baby groups and recreational facilities, and widespread mask use—greatly reduced opportunities for social interaction.

To evaluate children's development, the team conducted standardized assessments of language and non-verbal reasoning. Parents also completed questionnaires on their children's emotional regulation, working memory, planning and organizational abilities, independent problem-solving skills, and fine and gross motor development.

The findings suggest that about one-third of the children showed executive functioning difficulties according to caregiver reports. Compared with pre-pandemic norms, children were more likely to struggle with concentrating on tasks, remembering or following instructions, resisting distractions and adjusting their behavior based on feedback.

Language development presented a more nuanced picture. Overall language abilities were generally appropriate for age. However, when compared with children's non-verbal reasoning abilities, expressive language—the ability to communicate thoughts using words—was weaker than expected.

The researchers suggest that receptive language, or understanding speech, may have been protected by increased communication with parents and caregivers during lockdown. In contrast, expressive language may have been affected by reduced opportunities to interact with a wider range of people outside the family.

Motor development, including both fine and gross motor skills, was generally consistent with expected age-related milestones.

The authors caution that the study was observational and does not prove that lockdown caused the developmental differences. The research also lacked a matched control group, and several measures relied on parent questionnaires, which may introduce reporting bias. In addition, participating families were generally more highly educated than the average population, a factor that could influence developmental outcomes.

Despite these limitations, the researchers emphasize the importance of continuing to monitor children born during the pandemic. They suggest that some may benefit from additional support at home and in school to strengthen executive functioning skills as they grow.