Children born during lockdown found it more difficult to focus, follow instructions and regulate their emotions aged four, says study

By SHAUN WOOLLER, EXECUTIVE HEALTH EDITOR Published: 23:30, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 23:30, 14 July 2026 Children born during lockdown found it more difficult to focus, follow instructions and regulate their emotions at four years of age, a study reveals. These babies had a 'uniquely disrupted' first year as the Covid outbreak severely restricted social interaction between March 23, 2020, and July 19, 2021. Government rules at the time included limiting contact with friends and family, mandated social distancing, wearing of face coverings and the closure of baby groups and recreational spaces. Researchers from City St George's, University of London, assessed 205 children born in England during the first lockdown from March 23 to June 23, 2020, and found they had lower levels of executive function - crucial skills involved in making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations. Writing in the medical journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, they say: 'This study highlights the need for continued tracking of the cohort of children born during the COVID-19 lockdowns. 'Additional resources may be needed for school and family interventions to support the executive function needs of these children.' The study is the first to include a large sample of school-age children born in lockdown in England. The children were directly assessed using standardised measures for language and non-verbal reasoning ability. Children born during lockdown may find it difficult to settle and keep at tasks, remember or follow instructions, resist distraction or change their behaviour based on feedback  Parents also completed questionnaires about their children's emotional control, working memory, planning and organising, and independent problem solving, along with their fine and gross motor skills. The study's preliminary findings indicated that executive functioning reported by caregivers was below typical pre-pandemic levels and below what would be expected from the child's non-verbal reasoning score. One third of children in the sample were rated as having executive functioning needs. The researchers say the findings suggest that limited social diversity in the early years has impacted everyday executive functioning. They say children may find it difficult to settle and keep at tasks, remember or follow instructions, resist distraction or change their behaviour based on feedback. A more uneven picture was seen for language. Overall language scores were at or above expected levels for age. However, when the researchers used the child's non-verbal reasoning ability scores as a benchmark, they found that expressive language - how a child uses words to express themselves - was below what would be expected. The researchers suggest that receptive language - how a child understands language - may have been somewhat protected by increased attention and communication from parents and caregivers during the lockdown. In contrast, expressive language skills may have suffered due to the loss of rich and varied interactions with less familiar people during the pandemic. Motor skills were as expected for age when compared to norms pre-pandemic, the researchers report. The study is observational so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect and a limitation of the study is that it did not have a matched comparison group. Executive functioning and motor skills were measured via a report from the parent or caregiver and were not directly assessed so could be subject to parental bias. Another limitation is the sample is self-selected although it did include a diverse range of demographic ethnic and geographic backgrounds across England. However, participating families had higher educational levels than the general English population with around three quarters of parents holding a degree, which could have led to some above average scores.