Children and COVID-19 Research Library

This research brief is one of a series of six briefs, which provide an overview of available evidence shown in the Campbell-UNICEF Mega-Map of the effectiveness of interventions to improve child well-being in low- and middle-income countries. Five of these briefs summarize evidence as mapped against the five goal areas of UNICEF’s 2018–2021 Strategic Plan. A sixth special brief was added to focus specifically on COVID-19 and other epidemics and major crises. It is anticipated that the briefs will also be useful for others working in the child well-being space.

Sub-optimal feeding practices among under-5 children are the major drivers of malnutrition. This study aims to assess the prevalence of malnutrition and the factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and complementary feeding practices among under 5 children amid the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the economic and the political crises in Lebanon. A nationally representative stratified random sample of mother–child dyads (n = 511) was collected from households using a stratified cluster sampling design. The survey inquired about infant’s feeding and complementary feeding practices using a valid questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements of the mother and child were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to explore the determinants associated with under-5 children’s practices.

Adolescents are susceptible to nutritional status issues, both undernutrition, and over-nutrition, becoming a public health concern promptly. There were 912 junior and high-school adolescents who were obese and 249 high-school adolescents who had low body mass index (BMI) in Samarinda City. During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents experienced changes in sleep duration, and many adolescents were skipping breakfast. Sleep duration and breakfast can affect the nutritional condition of adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between sleep duration, breakfast routine and BMI in Samarinda, Indonesian adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic.

Infants and children are a risk group in terms of developing healthy habits, an important aspect if we consider that many of them were born during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study's objective was to evaluate compliance with lifestyle recommendations proposed at the national and international levels in children aged 0 to 23 months during confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 211 online questionnaires were completed with sociodemographic and lifestyle information of children.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Knowledge & Attitude of parents towards Pediatric dental treatment for their child in view of covid-19 pandemic in India. A Cross sectional study. A online cross-sectional study containing a structured self-administered questionnaire was designed in English language consisting of total 16 close ended multiple choice questions that were divided based on the demographic data, knowledge and attitude of participating parents.

Pregnant women are recommended to receive COVID-19 vaccination to reduce risk of severe COVID-19. Whether vaccination during pregnancy also provides passive protection to infants after birth remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy was associated with reduced risk of COVID-19 in infants up to age 4 months during COVID-19 pandemic periods dominated by Delta and Omicron variants. This nationwide, register-based cohort study included all live-born infants born in Norway between September 1, 2021, and February 28, 2022.

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. A major concern of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women is vertical maternal-fetal transmission and the ramifications on infant hearing. This retrospective study aims to investigate whether perinatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 has an impact on the hearing of the offspring. The study population included neonates born to unvaccinated COVID-19 positive mothers in the University Hospital of Patras, Greece from March 2020 to January 2021. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were performed on the neonates on the first, second,^, and seventh day of life. All neonates underwent transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) within the first three months of life and were all examined at the age of nine months.

Vaccine incentives have been used across the US to encourage COVID-19 vaccine uptake and include programs targeted to adolescents and young adults. However, little is known about youths’ views regarding these initiatives. To assess experiences and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine incentives in a nationwide sample of US youth. A qualitative survey study was conducted using the MyVoice text message-based polling platform from October 22 to October 29, 2021. Participants were US adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 24 years, who were sent 5 open-ended questions to assess their experiences and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine incentives. Qualitative responses were analyzed thematically. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed in January 2022.

This study aimed to estimate Covid-19 and pre-pandemic low respiratory infection (LRI) mortality in children and adolescents in Mexico. Materials and methods. It estimated the percentage of total mortality attributable to Covid-19 (95% confidence intervals; 95%CI) and made the corresponding estimates for pre-pandemic LRI mortality.

Early intervention delivered through telehealth is critically needed during crises, particularly for children in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to determine the applicability of the international Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) intervention delivered through telehealth during the COVID-19 lockdown in Turkey. Using a mixed-methods longitudinal design, this research recruited children with developmental difficulties aged 0–42 months with an appointment during the first lockdown at Ankara University Developmental Pediatrics Division and seen face-to-face only once before. Developmental pediatricians applied the GMCD intervention during a single telephone call. As a novel intervention component, caregivers were asked to record and send back videos of the child's development when there were doubts about the child's functioning. Caregivers were called 1 year later by blinded independent researchers and a semi-structured interview on applicability was conducted. Applicability of the caregiver recorded video component of the intervention was assessed by a blinded observer using the GMCD Video Observation Tool.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decline in the quantity and quality of maternal and child health services in Indonesia, especially of Posyandu. According to data from the Ministry of Health, at the end of 2019 there were 298,058 Posyandu in Indonesia and only 65.42% were active. To improve the quality of Posyandu, especially when promoting the adaptation of new habits, community health workers (CHWs) play a very important role. CHWs are expected to be drivers for communities to obtain health services. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of and barriers faced by CHWs in improving maternal and child health in Posyandu Cempaka Mekar Cimahi. This was qualitative research, and data were collected through observations, documentation analysis and interviews with CHWs, pregnant women, and mothers who had babies and toddlers in the work area of Posyandu Cempaka Mekar Cimahi. Secondary data were collected from notes, books and brochures. Data were analyzed using interactive analysis models through four stages: data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and verification.