Regional medical director of Coasta Child Health as the Pandemic Eases Pediatrics, said kids have experienced behavioral, emotional, and developmental effects whether they had COVID-19 or not. As a pediatrician, he has seen a significant increase in anxiety and depression in children and teenagers.
“Both in those children that had the illness but also in those that never got COVID but experienced living through the pandemic. A lot of this is also likely due to the social isolation many children experienced,” Abelowitz told Healthline.
As kids move from the bubble of their homes to the outside world again, Deborah Serani, PsyD, psychologist and professor at Adelphi University, said to be aware that a certain amount of worry, anxiety, and sadness are normal and expected.
She noted that kids may find it hard to unlearn many of the avoidance habits they’ve created to deal with the pandemic.
“While some children may move back into social and emotional connections as if the pandemic never happened, others will find re-connecting causes anxiety and insecurity. For those who experience this social anxiety, take small steps to help you feel confident as you greet, meet, and share time with others,” she told Healthline.
“Many will grieve missing moments of graduations, proms, birthdays, weddings, and other meaningful events,” Serani said.
“While moving back into the world can and should feel hopeful, Pandemic Eases it can cause a surge of despair for some kids, especially if things are not easy and manageable in the post-COVID world. This is where contacting a mental health professional can help,” Serani said.
Children have faced increased academic and developmental challenges during the pandemic, Abelowitz said. He explained that this is likely due to the disruptions in routines, closure of schools, and social isolation that they experienced.
“Also, research has shown that as economic conditions worsen, children’s mental health and Pandemic Eases development is negatively impacted,” he said.
The best defense against this is to seek extra help for kids if possible, such Pandemic Eases as assisting them with school work and time management or setting up tutoring if you are able to, and “safely returning to as much as possible of the child’s previous routine and academic setting. This includes school, sports groups, and social activities,” said Abelowitz.
“Eating has been limited by not always having access to healthy foods. So, now Pandemic Eases that we are emerging and supply chains are improving, be mindful about choosing healthier foods for yourself and your family,” said Serani.
She suggested trying to move past fretting about the weight gain your children may have experienced.
“As kids head back to school and the outdoors, you may notice that they get fatigued more quickly than before. Remind them to be kind to their body as it renews its stamina and muscle tone,” said Serani.
Encourage kids to ride their bikes, play at the park, roller skate, swim, go on walks or hikes, and if they are into sports or dance, get them back to playing or into classes.
Participating in family exercise together can also help jumpstart getting back into physical activity.
As preventative and chronic care were impacted by the pandemic, Abelowitz said the diagnosis of illnesses that could have been prevented were delayed or missed.
“And the conditions of many of the chronic pediatric patients worsened,” he said.
Additionally, he noted that as “a result of societal closures as well as newer difficulties with access to care, many children are now delayed with their vaccine schedule.”
Try to schedule physicals and annual visits with your children’s pediatrician as soon as possible. If you’re not able to see them in person, request a telemedicine visit to get access to chronic and preventive care for your child.
Breathing problems: Because COVID-19 most often affects the lungs, lingering respiratory symptoms from infection can be common. “These can include chest pain and a cough, as well as breathing difficulty with exercise. Some of the symptoms may last months or even longer,” said Abelowitz.
Physical fatigue: After developing COVID-19, some children may fatigue more easily and have less physical activity tolerance. “This fatigue can also last for months, but generally tends to improve over time,” he said.
Mental fatigue or brain fog: Some children and teenagers may experience unclear thinking and concentration. “As a result, they may have school performance difficulties,” said Abelowitz.
Cardiac issues: Children who were diagnosed with myocarditis, which is the inflammation of the heart muscle, may continue to experience chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and irregular heartbeats for months after developing COVID-19, explained Abelowitz.
Loss of smell and taste: suggest that bout 20 percent of children exhibit changes to their sense of smell and taste, which typically resolves a few weeks after developing COVID-19.
If your child experiences health effects after recovering from COVID-19, contacting their pediatrician or primary care provider for help is a good first step.
If you live near an academic hospital, reach out to see if they have a long COVID or post-COVID clinic. These clinics have clinicians who are focused on caring for patients with long COVID symptoms.
“Parents also need to be able to take care of their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being in order to properly take care of their children and any challenges they may be facing,
Source: This news is originally published by healthline