WHAT DID CONFINEMENT DO TO THE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

Abstract

The objective was to compare the broad motor development of infants born during the Brazil pandemic (GPÓS1) with typical infants born before the pandemic (GPRÉ). Comparative ex post facto study, a sample composed of infants between 12 to 18 months born during the pandemic and infants born before the pandemic. Stage of collections: 1st) completion of a Google form; 2nd) recording of baby vídeos baby evaluated by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), performed by the caregiver. A AIMS score was performed by a blinded evaluator. Excel was used for data storage. For statistical analysis, the Shapiro-Wilk normality test was performed. To compare medians between groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was applied. When comparing proportions, Pearson's chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were applied. The significance level was p<0.05. There were significant differences between the groups in the domains presented by the AIMS, in the Environment, and some items of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD). A difference was observed between GPRÉ and GPÓS in two different age groups (GPÓS1 and GPÓS2) in Prone posture, total score and rating. No differences were observed between GPÓS1 and GPÓS2 for the AIMS and differences were found only in some items of the AHEMD. Infants born pre-pandemic are better classified in AIMS and AHEMD when compared to post-pandemic babies.