Effect of masks on young children’s speech development

Has there been any study on the effects of prolonged public mask wearing on the impact on young children and babies language development.

Why the contribution is important

Parents are being asked to wear masks to baby and toddler groups without understanding the potential impact on their children’s speech development

by Jadegray on September 26, 2021 at 02:38PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 5.0
Based on: 8 votes

Comments

  • Posted by jlaverie September 29, 2021 at 07:54

    It is so important for babies and toddlers to see facial expression otherwise they will fall behind on their development

  • Posted by DKR September 29, 2021 at 19:32

    I work in this field and have concerns re extended mask use around babies and young children negatively impacting their innate interest in human facial expressions, what they 'take' from these encounters with their caregivers and how this feeds into their own desire for shared enjoyment in interaction. In the early years, this is in large part based on facial expressions and the response to their behaviours, such as vocalising. I expect to see a large number of children simply not invested in communicating because what they get back is less...less joy, less response, less connection. LESS LIFE. This is likely to be catastrophic. If Scotland is serious in its aims that 'Scotland is the best place to grow up', these mask mandates must be stopped immediately.
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