Effects of social and sensory deprivation in newborns: A lesson from the Covid-19 experience.
Covid-19
Infants
Newborns
Plasticity
Sensory deprivation
Visual development
Journal
Early human development
ISSN: 1872-6232
Titre abrégé: Early Hum Dev
Pays: Ireland
ID NLM: 7708381
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Oct 2023
Oct 2023
Historique:
received:
16
07
2023
revised:
28
08
2023
accepted:
29
08
2023
pubmed:
5
9
2023
medline:
5
9
2023
entrez:
4
9
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Infancy is a complex period of human life, in which environmental experiences have a fundamental role for neurodevelopment. Although conditions of social and sensory deprivation are uncommon in high income countries, the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly modified this condition, by depriving people of their social stimuli of daily life. To understand the impact of this deprivation on infants' behaviour, we investigated the short-term effects of isolation and use of individual protective systems by mothers during the first two weeks of life. The study included 11 mother-infant dyads with mothers tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 at the time of delivery (Covid group) and 11 dyads with a SARS-CoV-2 negative mother as controls. Neurobehavioral, visual, and sensory processing assessments were performed from birth to 3 months of age. Findings showed the effect of deprivation on some neurobehavioral abilities of infants in the Covid group; in addition, differences in sensory maturation trends were observed, although they tended to gradually decrease until disappearance at 3 months of age. These findings suggest the significant effects of early sensory and social deprivation during the first two weeks of life, but also provide several insights on the ability of the brain to restore its aptitudes by deleting or reducing the effects of early deprivation before the critical periods' closure.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Infancy is a complex period of human life, in which environmental experiences have a fundamental role for neurodevelopment. Although conditions of social and sensory deprivation are uncommon in high income countries, the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly modified this condition, by depriving people of their social stimuli of daily life.
AIM
OBJECTIVE
To understand the impact of this deprivation on infants' behaviour, we investigated the short-term effects of isolation and use of individual protective systems by mothers during the first two weeks of life.
METHODS
METHODS
The study included 11 mother-infant dyads with mothers tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 at the time of delivery (Covid group) and 11 dyads with a SARS-CoV-2 negative mother as controls. Neurobehavioral, visual, and sensory processing assessments were performed from birth to 3 months of age.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Findings showed the effect of deprivation on some neurobehavioral abilities of infants in the Covid group; in addition, differences in sensory maturation trends were observed, although they tended to gradually decrease until disappearance at 3 months of age.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest the significant effects of early sensory and social deprivation during the first two weeks of life, but also provide several insights on the ability of the brain to restore its aptitudes by deleting or reducing the effects of early deprivation before the critical periods' closure.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37666054
pii: S0378-3782(23)00149-4
doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105853
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
105853Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.