COVID-19 Pandemic and the Developmental Health of Kindergarteners

JAMA Pediatrics, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 10, 2025

Importance Recent studies have associated the COVID-19 pandemic with negative developmental outcomes in children. However, research focused on young children remains limited, few including multiple years of pre- and postpandemic onset data. Objective To examine impact US kindergarteners’ health. Design, Setting, Participants This repeated cross-sectional panel study examined health trends, as measured by Early Development Instrument (EDI), among a convenience sample kindergarteners from 2010 to 2023. EDI data were obtained 390 school districts across 19 states. Data analyzed June December 2024. Exposure Kindergarteners’ was compared between prepandemic (2018 2020) (2021 2023) cohorts. Main Outcomes Measures scores time 5 domains: (1) physical well-being, (2) social competence, (3) emotional maturity, (4) language cognitive development, (5) communication general knowledge. The mean (95% CI) assessed. Results In this 475 740 kindergarten students, 242 869 male (51.1%), there 53 841 African American or Black students (11.4%), 263 037 Hispanic Latino/a (55.5%), 95 258 White (20.1%), (SD) age 6 (0.4) (range, 4.0-8.0 years). Compared immediate period, rate change significantly lower following development (mean change, −0.45; 95% CI, −0.48 −0.43), competence −0.03; −0.06 −0.01), knowledge −0.18; −0.22 −0.15). higher maturity 0.05; 0.03 0.07), no significant changes observed well-being domain 0; −0.01 0.02). Conclusions Relevance varying kindergarteners. Negative trends existed immediately before pandemic, most persisting slowing onset. These results highlight troubling both during more information is needed understand why are worsening over time.

Language: Английский

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Genes and environments, development and time

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 117(38), P. 23235 - 23241

Published: Sept. 22, 2020

A now substantial body of science implicates a dynamic interplay between genetic and environmental variation in the development individual differences behavior health. Such outcomes are affected by molecular, often epigenetic, processes involving gene–environment (G–E) that can influence gene expression. Early environments with exposures to poverty, chronic adversities, acutely stressful events have been linked maladaptive compromised health behavior. Genetic impart either enhanced or blunted susceptibility effects such pathogenic environments. However, largely missing from present discourse regarding G–E is role time, “third factor” guiding emergence complex developmental endpoints across different scales time. Trajectories increasingly appear best accounted for complex, interchange among highly elements genes, contexts, time at multiple scales, including neurobiological (minutes milliseconds), genomic (hours minutes), (years months), evolutionary (centuries millennia) This special issue PNAS thus explores timing transactions: The importance timescales plasticity critical periods brain development; epigenetics molecular underpinnings biologically embedded experience; encoding experience biological levels organization; gene-regulatory networks their linkages neuronal networks. Taken together, collection papers offers perspectives on how operates contingently within against backdrop timescales.

Language: Английский

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Shifting Developmental Trajectories During Critical Periods of Brain Formation

Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 14

Published: Sept. 10, 2020

Research on critical periods of brain development is greatly expanding our understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying epochs heightened plasticity driven by environmental influence. Novel studies have started to reveal that timely interventions during hold potential reorient abnormal developmental trajectories in animal models neurological neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we re-examine fundamental criteria characterize a period, highlighting recently discovered health disease. addition, touch upon technological improvements modelling human-derived neural networks vitro. These scientific advances associated with use manipulations immature represent promising new preclinical setting will allow future translatability into clinical applications for neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum schizophrenia.

Language: Английский

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Sensitive periods in human development: charting a course for the future

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 36, P. 120 - 128

Published: Nov. 6, 2020

Language: Английский

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Neurodevelopmental effects of childhood malnutrition: A neuroimaging perspective

NeuroImage, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 231, P. 117828 - 117828

Published: Feb. 6, 2021

Approximately one in five children worldwide suffers from childhood malnutrition and its complications, including increased susceptibility to inflammation infectious diseases. Due improved early interventions, most of these now survive malnutrition, even low-resource settings (LRS). However, many continue exhibit neurodevelopmental deficits, low IQ, poor school performance, behavioral problems over their lifetimes. Most studies have relied on neuropsychological tests, mental health measures. Few studies, contrast, assessed brain structure function, date, mainly low-cost techniques, electroencephalography (EEG) evoked potentials (ERP). The use more advanced methods neuroimaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), has been limited by cost factors lack availability technologies developing countries, where is nearly ubiquitous. This report summarizes the current state knowledge evidence gaps regarding study impact neurodevelopment. It may help inform development new strategies improve identification, classification, treatment disabilities underserved populations at highest risk for malnutrition.

Language: Английский

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Measuring early life adversity: A dimensional approach

Development and Psychopathology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 34(2), P. 499 - 511

Published: March 22, 2022

Exposure to adversity in childhood is associated with elevations numerous physical and mental health outcomes across the life course. The biological embedding of early experience during periods developmental plasticity one pathway that contributes these associations. Dimensional models specify mechanistic pathways linking different dimensions well-being later life. While findings from existing studies testing have provided promising preliminary support for models, less agreement exists about how measure experiences comprise each dimension. Here, we review approaches measuring two adversity: threat deprivation. We recommend specific measures constructs and, when possible, document same can be used by reporters lifespan maximize utility which recommendations applied. Through this approach, hope stimulate progress understanding particular environmental contribute lifelong health.

Language: Английский

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Mechanisms of neuroplasticity linking early adversity to depression: developmental considerations

Translational Psychiatry, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 11(1)

Published: Oct. 9, 2021

Abstract Early exposure to psychosocial adversity is among the most potent predictors of depression. Because depression commonly emerges prior adulthood, we must consider fundamental principles developmental neuroscience when examining how experiences childhood adversity, including abuse and neglect, can lead Considering that both environment brain are highly dynamic across period spanning gestation through adolescence, purpose this review discuss integrate stress-based models center processes. We offer a general framework for understanding in early life disrupts or calibrates biobehavioral systems implicated Specifically, propose sources nature environmental input shaping brain, mechanisms neuroplasticity involved, change development. contend effects largely depend on stage organism. First, summarize leading neurobiological focus risk mental disorders, In particular, highlight allostatic load, acceleration maturation, dimensions sensitive critical s. Second, expound evidence formulation distinct depending timing adverse experiences, inherent within certain windows development constraints these experiences. Finally, other important facets (e.g., unpredictability, perceptions one’s experiences) before discussing promising research directions future field.

Language: Английский

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Adoption and trauma: Risks, recovery, and the lived experience of adoption

Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 130, P. 105309 - 105309

Published: Sept. 17, 2021

Language: Английский

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Individuals with adverse childhood experiences explore less and underweight reward feedback

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 119(4)

Published: Jan. 19, 2022

Significance Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are extreme stressors that have a profound impact on cognitive development. Using an explore/exploit foraging paradigm, we demonstrate ACEs associated with reduced exploration, leading these individuals to accumulate fewer rewards from their environment. computational modeling, identify exploration is ACE-exposed underweighting reward feedback, which highlights mechanism may link trauma the onset and maintenance of psychopathology.

Language: Английский

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Sensitive periods in development and risk for psychiatric disorders and related endpoints: a systematic review of child maltreatment findings

The Lancet Psychiatry, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(12), P. 978 - 991

Published: Nov. 17, 2022

Language: Английский

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