Everybody loves seeing babies wave bye-bye and say their first words. But those skills may be developing more slowly among babies born during the pandemic, according to new research in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Social isolation, parent stress, and over-reliance on screens are some reasons experts believe many babies had fewer face-to-face interactions at the height of COVID. As a result, the babies heard fewer words and are having “significantly less vocalizations,” says Brown University’s Advanced Baby Imaging Lab.

“I’m seeing children with global delays; with deficits in really early pre-language skills like pointing, giving and reaching,” observes Rhode Island speech-language pathologist Alyssa Loberti.

Top U.K. Schools Inspector Amanda Spielman sees the implications of babies speaking less. “I’m particularly worried about younger children’s development, which, if left unaddressed, could potentially cause problems for primary schools down the line.”

Kids Bounce Back

Luckily, little kids are resilient and thrive with loving attention.

Babies and toddlers can quickly pick up language when they can look at loved ones’ faces, practice “talking”, and hear plenty of spoken words. They also get a boost in brain development, executive functioning, and social-emotional skills.

Proof comes from LENA Grow, a professional development program for early childhood teachers. The program uses “talk pedometer” technology to detect how much preschool teachers converse with their students. Teachers are then made aware of times in the day there is little talking and which students experience less conversation. 

When teachers step up their chatter, the results are impressive.