[Child health in the COVID-19 pandemic: results from school entry data and a parent survey in the Hanover region].

INTRODUCTION

With its social contact restrictions, the COVID-19 pandemic can be very burdensome for children and adolescents. The regularly conducted school entry examination in Germany delivers data on the development and health of pre-school children and can deliver indications on the impacts of the pandemic.

METHODS

Based on school entry data for the Hannover region, it will be examined if there are more children with noticeable development and health impairment after the first lockdown in 2020 compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of the results of the 2017/18-2020/21 school entry cohorts are compared. A survey of parents presents information of the everyday life and wellbeing of children and their families during the pandemic.

RESULTS

After the first lockdown phase, the data shows a significant increase of noticeable language problems and an increase of children with a need for language support and with inadequate or no German language knowledge in comparison to the years before. Further, an increase of overweight or obesity as well as an increase in noticeable fine motor skill abnormalities and media consumption problems could be observed. The survey shows that the share of children who are more often sad increased to 32.1%, and the share of children who have more frequent rage attacks increased to 24.9%. Children more frequently have problems falling asleep and staying asleep or have stomachaches, headaches, sickness, or loss of appetite.

DISCUSSION

These results are in line with other current studies and provide evidence of the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's health. However further studies are necessary in order to deliver statistically firm results.