Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based survey

Background. Lockdown due to Corona pandemic is an unprecedented event, which has had a profound impact on the lives of children across all ages. Its effects on children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) has not been adequately studied. This study was performed in order to explore the ef...

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Main Authors: Jyotindra Narayan Goswami, Vishal Sondhi, Ashish Kumar Simalti, Manu Bamal, Shuvendu Roy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health 2021-08-01
Series:The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/343
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author Jyotindra Narayan Goswami
Vishal Sondhi
Ashish Kumar Simalti
Manu Bamal
Shuvendu Roy
author_facet Jyotindra Narayan Goswami
Vishal Sondhi
Ashish Kumar Simalti
Manu Bamal
Shuvendu Roy
author_sort Jyotindra Narayan Goswami
collection DOAJ
description Background. Lockdown due to Corona pandemic is an unprecedented event, which has had a profound impact on the lives of children across all ages. Its effects on children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) has not been adequately studied. This study was performed in order to explore the effects of lockdown during the Corona pandemic on children with NDD and their parents. Methods. The survey was conducted in three Indian tertiary-care hospitals wherein parents of children with NDD were requested to respond to an online questionnaire. The questions attempted to elicit various aspects of the children`s therapies and behavioural profiles as well as their parents` experiences during the pandemic related lockdown. Results. 135/188 (71.8%) parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)(n=104), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (n=26) and Learning Disability (LD)(n=5) responded. Pre-lockdown, 133 (99%) children were receiving regular institution-based therapy, which ceased intra-lockdown. Mean cumulative home-based therapy duration significantly increased during lockdown (p=0.03). Parents reported significantly increased temper tantrums in children (p=0.02). They perceived that during lockdown, their children were bored and their interactions and speech worsened. Majority of parents reported worsening of own qualities of life, but felt confident of taking care of their children during lockdown. Conclusions. To conclude, children with NDD and their parents were significantly affected by Corona pandemicrelated lockdown. Institutional therapy discontinuation, behavioural deterioration (especially among ASD and ADHD) and parental stress were prominent challenges whereas parental motivation and reliance on homebased therapy were the positive highlights. The survey points to the role of regular parent-administered homebased therapy in children with NDD, especially to tide over similar unexpected adverse scenarios.
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spelling doaj-art-9a01050a0fa0462492cd9eceecd1b50a2025-08-20T02:01:47ZengHacettepe University Institute of Child HealthThe Turkish Journal of Pediatrics0041-43012791-64212021-08-0163410.24953/turkjped.2021.04.012Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based surveyJyotindra Narayan Goswami0Vishal Sondhi1Ashish Kumar Simalti2Manu Bamal3Shuvendu Roy4Department of Pediatrics, Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi.Department of Pediatrics, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.Department of Pediatrics, MH Dehradun, Uttarakhand.Department of Pediatrics, Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi.Department of Pediatrics, Command Hospital (EC), Kolkata, India. Background. Lockdown due to Corona pandemic is an unprecedented event, which has had a profound impact on the lives of children across all ages. Its effects on children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) has not been adequately studied. This study was performed in order to explore the effects of lockdown during the Corona pandemic on children with NDD and their parents. Methods. The survey was conducted in three Indian tertiary-care hospitals wherein parents of children with NDD were requested to respond to an online questionnaire. The questions attempted to elicit various aspects of the children`s therapies and behavioural profiles as well as their parents` experiences during the pandemic related lockdown. Results. 135/188 (71.8%) parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)(n=104), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (n=26) and Learning Disability (LD)(n=5) responded. Pre-lockdown, 133 (99%) children were receiving regular institution-based therapy, which ceased intra-lockdown. Mean cumulative home-based therapy duration significantly increased during lockdown (p=0.03). Parents reported significantly increased temper tantrums in children (p=0.02). They perceived that during lockdown, their children were bored and their interactions and speech worsened. Majority of parents reported worsening of own qualities of life, but felt confident of taking care of their children during lockdown. Conclusions. To conclude, children with NDD and their parents were significantly affected by Corona pandemicrelated lockdown. Institutional therapy discontinuation, behavioural deterioration (especially among ASD and ADHD) and parental stress were prominent challenges whereas parental motivation and reliance on homebased therapy were the positive highlights. The survey points to the role of regular parent-administered homebased therapy in children with NDD, especially to tide over similar unexpected adverse scenarios. https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/343COVID-19corona pandemiclockdownneurodevelopmental disorders
spellingShingle Jyotindra Narayan Goswami
Vishal Sondhi
Ashish Kumar Simalti
Manu Bamal
Shuvendu Roy
Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based survey
The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
COVID-19
corona pandemic
lockdown
neurodevelopmental disorders
title Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based survey
title_full Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based survey
title_fullStr Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based survey
title_full_unstemmed Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based survey
title_short Effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders-A questionnaire-based survey
title_sort effects of lockdown during corona pandemic on children with neurodevelopmental disorders a questionnaire based survey
topic COVID-19
corona pandemic
lockdown
neurodevelopmental disorders
url https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/343
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