CHILDREN who are born during the pandemic are at risk of stunted social skills development due to isolation brought on by the lockdowns to curb the spread of Covid-19, a medical expert said.

Consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist Dr Yong Junina Fadzil told The Malaysian Insight a sedentary lifestyle and staying indoors for a prolonged period of time may also lead to health problems such as weight gain and vitamin D deficiency.

“The degree at which a child is affected depends on the age of the child and the period of social isolation.

“While a child need not go to a mall for social interaction – and in fact parents are not encouraged to take their babies out to malls – they do require exposure to the outdoors where they can hear birds chatter, see the foliage, and listen in to people’s conversations.

“Children between the ages of two and six should be out playing in playgrounds and parks where they can meet other children and be exposed to vitamin D.

“Physical activities encourage physical growth and help to develop a healthy appetite. Children who are active physically tend to eat better and are less likely to be obese,” Yong said.

Yong said interaction in places such as the playground not only teaches children how to share space with others, it also helps them develop their social skills and learn how to make friends.

“Through such meetings they learn about taking turns on playground equipment, and the concept of space sharing. They will also learn what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t.

“Without outdoor activities and social interaction, a child is more likely not to develop social skills, and may be more fearful of strangers, unsure of how to make friends and unable to understand the concept of taking turns.”

She said most children who are about to turn two have spent 67% of their life in lockdowns and isolation, only interacting with their parents and immediate family members, if any.

This, she said, may cause them to be fearful when they are eventually allowed to venture out and explore.

“A two-year-old child would have spent 67% of her life in lockdown. When she is allowed to go out, she would be bewildered by what she sees, yet fearful.

“The wonderful thing about children is their innate curiosity. This will help them overcome their fear and bewilderment, eventually,” she said.

Malaysia has been put under three lockdowns since the start of the pandemic in March last year. For the better part of the last 16 months, most Malaysians have been confined in their homes to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

An unusual childhood experience

First-time mothers who had their babies in the middle of the pandemic told The Malaysian Insight they are sad their children are stuck in isolation and cannot experience a normal childhood.

Neha, 31, gave birth to her daughter in November last year. Her seven-month-old daughter has only interacted with her, her husband and close family members. She has not met any other children.

“My daughter has not met any other children. We can barely take her anywhere. When we used to take her out for walks, we would bump into the neighbours but that was it.

“She has not had a single play date and any interaction with other children her age or older,” she said.

“This will definitely affect her growth, but I don’t know what the long-term effects are. It’s very sad. She is stuck indoors all day.”

For Zulaiha Hamid, 27, she was lucky enough to send her son to nursery for three months before the lockdown put a stop to that.

She had her baby on September 11, 2020. Her son is now 10 months’ old.

“He was initially quite scared. When people came over to visit he would cry. Once he went to nursery, for three months, he became more sociable.

“If he didn’t have that interaction at all, it will have a big impact on him,” she said.

Meanwhile Liew Suet Li, 33, said although her one-year-old daughter has not had any interaction with outsiders, she doesn’t think that it will affect her growth.

“For really young children, who are under two, I think the lack of interaction doesn’t affect them as much because they spend most of their time with their parents anyway. Their world is already confined to begin with, so I think that’s okay,” she said.

Liew said throughout the pandemic, she has only taken her daughter out for walks in their apartment and the only people they see are her neighbours.

“We sometimes go for walks downstairs and see other babies but she doesn’t really get to play with them,” she said, adding that she was, however, thankful that there were periods when the lockdown wasn’t so bad and her daughter was able to see family and friends and one or two children her age.

All three agreed they were grateful to have their husbands by their side throughout the pregnancy, birth and to help around the house.

It is not unusual to have a revolving door of family members and friends who visit and help when one has a child, but in the case of these mothers, they only had their husbands while some were fortunate to have outside help.

“I had a confinement lady who came to help out for a month and we were grateful to have her,” Liew said.

Neha was fortunate to have her mother help her with her daughter as she lived closely while Zulaiha had her mother-in-law, sister-in-law and sisters to thank for helping her during her confinement. – July 25, 2021.