Are the reported rise in speech-delays due to masked daycare caregivers making you rethink daycare?

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard from various parents and on this forum and other forums that this is an issue in the infant care rooms. Babies can’t see mouths form words or facial expressions for at least eight of their daytime hours and it’s causing speech delays. Our baby has a place at a reputable daycare center next month (baby will be 2.5 months) but now I’m starting to reconsider sending him.

I could extend maternity leave and look for a nanny but the expense will definitely hurt us.

Anyone changing their childcare plans?

[Anonymous]

Yes. Covid had us questioning our daycare plan and the speech thing put us over the top. DH has taken off a month and we found a great, safe and kind nanny to start after the first of the year.

[Anonymous]

In my experience most parents whose kids experience delays seek someone to blame. Lots of kids experienced speech delays before masks, and they will after.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my experience most parents whose kids experience delays seek someone to blame. Lots of kids experienced speech delays before masks, and they will after.

Of course but there is a sharp rise in cases among daycare babies. Just google it.

[Anonymous]

I rolled the dice and got lucky — no speech delays (yet) for my first (born Jan 2020, in daycare since Nov 2020). But I’m taking an extended leave for my second — he won’t start daycare until he’s six months old because I feel more comfortable waiting. Like so many things it’s hard to find good data — I definitely believe there is an increase in speech delays but I don’t have a good sense of how much. What was the incidence in the population before? What is it now? Obviously threads on forums are anecdotes and suffer from confirmation bias but that doesn’t mean it’s not actually a concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience most parents whose kids experience delays seek someone to blame. Lots of kids experienced speech delays before masks, and they will after.

Of course but there is a sharp rise in cases among daycare babies. Just google it.

+1. It has to have an effect, PP. whether it’s good, bad, temporary or permanent is still unknown. Babies learn from watching faces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Covid had us questioning our daycare plan and the speech thing put us over the top. DH has taken off a month and we found a great, safe and kind nanny to start after the first of the year.

No. I am questioning for other reasons, but masks and delayed speech isn't it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience most parents whose kids experience delays seek someone to blame. Lots of kids experienced speech delays before masks, and they will after.

Of course but there is a sharp rise in cases among daycare babies. Just google it.

Can you link to something that shows it? Sharp increase implies statistics, and I'm not seeing any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience most parents whose kids experience delays seek someone to blame. Lots of kids experienced speech delays before masks, and they will after.

Of course but there is a sharp rise in cases among daycare babies. Just google it.

Can you link to something that shows it? Sharp increase implies statistics, and I'm not seeing any.

We tried to get DC1 evaluated for speech delay and they told us it would take three months due to the rise in cases. Ask your pediatrician if you can’t find data. It’s so new I doubt any studies have been completed yet.

NP here and yes, our plans for this new baby have changed. DH will be taking a sabbatical.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of anecdotes on this but no legit studies or data. I ask my pediatrician about it at every check up and he confirms there is no data yet. Everyone on this thread claiming there is seems to be basing that on such evidence as "of course" and "it has to".

To add another anecdote, my son turned 2 in March 2020 and returned to daycare later that summer. All his teachers have been masked ever since. His speech was on track at 2 but it took off between 2-3 and he is incredibly articulate now at nearly 4. No impact from masks whatsoever.

My daughter was born during the pandemic and has been going to daycare since she was 5 months, she's now nearly 17 months. She's right on track for her age in terms of speech and emotional milestones.

If my kids never talked to anyone without a mask on maybe I'd be worried, but daycare is just a part of their day. The other kids aren't masked at daycare and during nights and weekends they interact with unmasked adults. I make a point to talk to the baby, especially, as much as a possibly can to ensure she sees me forming words. I just narrate everything when I'm with her. She has had no lack of opportunity to learn from watching people speak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of anecdotes on this but no legit studies or data. I ask my pediatrician about it at every check up and he confirms there is no data yet. Everyone on this thread claiming there is seems to be basing that on such evidence as "of course" and "it has to".

To add another anecdote, my son turned 2 in March 2020 and returned to daycare later that summer. All his teachers have been masked ever since. His speech was on track at 2 but it took off between 2-3 and he is incredibly articulate now at nearly 4. No impact from masks whatsoever.

My daughter was born during the pandemic and has been going to daycare since she was 5 months, she's now nearly 17 months. She's right on track for her age in terms of speech and emotional milestones.

If my kids never talked to anyone without a mask on maybe I'd be worried, but daycare is just a part of their day. The other kids aren't masked at daycare and during nights and weekends they interact with unmasked adults. I make a point to talk to the baby, especially, as much as a possibly can to ensure she sees me forming words. I just narrate everything when I'm with her. She has had no lack of opportunity to learn from watching people speak.

You’re right. Yours is just another anecdote. And you can’t say how much more advanced you kids would have Brennan had their daycare teachers not been masked. In my mind, the solution is to stop masking teachers I the infant and toddler rooms. Test the teachers daily and stop covering their faces.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, the children most at risk from covid are ages 0-4. I would take a minor speech delay over this any day.

My child had a speech delay 15 years ago. He didn't speak till he was 2.5. Not only did he "survive," he thrived. He is on the debate team and Model UN now.

People acting like speech delays are worse than illness remind me of the folks who don't vaccinate because they are afraid of autism. Nonsensical and offensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of anecdotes on this but no legit studies or data. I ask my pediatrician about it at every check up and he confirms there is no data yet. Everyone on this thread claiming there is seems to be basing that on such evidence as "of course" and "it has to".

To add another anecdote, my son turned 2 in March 2020 and returned to daycare later that summer. All his teachers have been masked ever since. His speech was on track at 2 but it took off between 2-3 and he is incredibly articulate now at nearly 4. No impact from masks whatsoever.

My daughter was born during the pandemic and has been going to daycare since she was 5 months, she's now nearly 17 months. She's right on track for her age in terms of speech and emotional milestones.

If my kids never talked to anyone without a mask on maybe I'd be worried, but daycare is just a part of their day. The other kids aren't masked at daycare and during nights and weekends they interact with unmasked adults. I make a point to talk to the baby, especially, as much as a possibly can to ensure she sees me forming words. I just narrate everything when I'm with her. She has had no lack of opportunity to learn from watching people speak.

You’re right. Yours is just another anecdote. And you can’t say how much more advanced you kids would have Brennan had their daycare teachers not been masked. In my mind, the solution is to stop masking teachers I the infant and toddler rooms. Test the teachers daily and stop covering their faces.

Yes, mine is just another anecdote, that's my point. Proposing a "solution" begs the question - we don't actually know if there's a problem. People are just assuming that.

You know what we do have lots of real data and study on? Language development by blind children. That research has not shown any strong link between blindness and impoverished language acquisition. Moreover, they often "find independent adaptive strategies by the children, pointing to a plasticity in the acquisition process itself." If blind babies can develop language skills normally I'm sure babies cared for by people in masks 6-8 hours a day can manage.

[Anonymous]

^and to add, my late in life surprise kid is not at daycare right now, but even having gone through speech delays, childfind, and therapy, I would still choose a mask and speech delay over increased risk of illness to my young toddler.

[Anonymous]

Yes but I suspected it would have an effect months ago. Yes, because of masks as well as the increase in respiratory infections as well as covid, we made other childcare plans.