Lockdown babies slower to meet most milestones, study finds

Irish research shows infants were slightly less likely to speak, point or wave at 12 months but were more likely to crawl

Babies born during the first lockdown met fewer developmental milestones aged one compared with those born before the pandemic - although they may have been faster to crawl, data suggests.

About 600,000 babies were born in Britain, and a further 60,000 in Ireland, during 2020 - when Covid restrictions and mask wearing put a stop to many social activities, including toddler rhyme-times, antenatal group outings and cuddles with grandparents. Since then, parents and psychologists have pondered the impact of such enforced isolation on babies' social development.