Daycare caregivers masking with infants

[Anonymous]

That your children with masked caregivers seem fine is not proof that it’s not hurting them. You can’t know how much better off they’d be with unmasked caregivers. My kid’s teachers at daycare are masked - and I’m glad about that - but we can’t pretend it is natural or unremarkable. It will have an effect, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That your children with masked caregivers seem fine is not proof that it’s not hurting them. You can’t know how much better off they’d be with unmasked caregivers. My kid’s teachers at daycare are masked - and I’m glad about that - but we can’t pretend it is natural or unremarkable. It will have an effect, IMO.

Oh, great…yet another thing to add to the mom guilt list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m currently on maternity leave with my 2 month old, due back soon. I don’t have a spot at a daycare yet and I’m really worried about sending him to a daycare where caregivers mask. Don’t get me wrong, I am pro-vaccine, pro mask, pro any and all public health measures. My 3 yr old is in preschool with masked teachers and masked students. But I am freaked out by the idea of a young baby (who lacks object permanence) spending so many hours a day with masked caregivers.

I’m sort of surprised I haven’t seen threads on this. Has anyone else had this concern and gotten over it? Did everyone just hire nannies?

Anecdotally, my pro mask pediatrician recently mentioned her DD is masked in childcare, and thinks that is partially responsible for her speech delay.

Speech delays are pretty common pre-pandemic. The only way to establish causality is to do a randomized study. It would also be useful to see if the incidence of speech delays has gone up during the pandemic, but this is difficult to measure because people aren't taking their kids to the doctor as much. We don't have this information right now as far as I am aware. Even a pediatrician's opinion on this matter essentially amounts to an educated guess. We really just don't know. I wish this was something there was more information on - it seems like there was SO much investment in making sure the vaccines were safe, but zero effort to ascertain whether masking impacts children's development. WTF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That your children with masked caregivers seem fine is not proof that it’s not hurting them. You can’t know how much better off they’d be with unmasked caregivers. My kid’s teachers at daycare are masked - and I’m glad about that - but we can’t pretend it is natural or unremarkable. It will have an effect, IMO.

Oh, great…yet another thing to add to the mom guilt list.

Oh, great... yet another parent who would rather not know the truth so they can feel better.

It’s not about you, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m currently on maternity leave with my 2 month old, due back soon. I don’t have a spot at a daycare yet and I’m really worried about sending him to a daycare where caregivers mask. Don’t get me wrong, I am pro-vaccine, pro mask, pro any and all public health measures. My 3 yr old is in preschool with masked teachers and masked students. But I am freaked out by the idea of a young baby (who lacks object permanence) spending so many hours a day with masked caregivers.

I’m sort of surprised I haven’t seen threads on this. Has anyone else had this concern and gotten over it? Did everyone just hire nannies?

Anecdotally, my pro mask pediatrician recently mentioned her DD is masked in childcare, and thinks that is partially responsible for her speech delay.

Speech delays are pretty common pre-pandemic. The only way to establish causality is to do a randomized study. It would also be useful to see if the incidence of speech delays has gone up during the pandemic, but this is difficult to measure because people aren't taking their kids to the doctor as much. We don't have this information right now as far as I am aware. Even a pediatrician's opinion on this matter essentially amounts to an educated guess. We really just don't know. I wish this was something there was more information on - it seems like there was SO much investment in making sure the vaccines were safe, but zero effort to ascertain whether masking impacts children's development. WTF.

The data could only be compiled after the fact (kids who had masked daycare and kids who didn’t). Like so many issues regarding children, it would be unethical to do a proper study. “Okay, Mom, we’re going to put one of your identical twins into a masked daycare and the other in an unmasked daycare tosee if the first has language and bonding issues later”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m currently on maternity leave with my 2 month old, due back soon. I don’t have a spot at a daycare yet and I’m really worried about sending him to a daycare where caregivers mask. Don’t get me wrong, I am pro-vaccine, pro mask, pro any and all public health measures. My 3 yr old is in preschool with masked teachers and masked students. But I am freaked out by the idea of a young baby (who lacks object permanence) spending so many hours a day with masked caregivers.

I’m sort of surprised I haven’t seen threads on this. Has anyone else had this concern and gotten over it? Did everyone just hire nannies?

Anecdotally, my pro mask pediatrician recently mentioned her DD is masked in childcare, and thinks that is partially responsible for her speech delay.

Speech delays are pretty common pre-pandemic. The only way to establish causality is to do a randomized study. It would also be useful to see if the incidence of speech delays has gone up during the pandemic, but this is difficult to measure because people aren't taking their kids to the doctor as much. We don't have this information right now as far as I am aware. Even a pediatrician's opinion on this matter essentially amounts to an educated guess. We really just don't know. I wish this was something there was more information on - it seems like there was SO much investment in making sure the vaccines were safe, but zero effort to ascertain whether masking impacts children's development. WTF.

The data could only be compiled after the fact (kids who had masked daycare and kids who didn’t). Like so many issues regarding children, it would be unethical to do a proper study. “Okay, Mom, we’re going to put one of your identical twins into a masked daycare and the other in an unmasked daycare tosee if the first has language and bonding issues later”.

I mean there are plenty of young children masking at daycare. I don't think it would be unethical to do a proper study but doing it in the way you suggest is highly impractical for a number of reasons. That being said, I don't see any efforts at all to study this issue, even imperfectly.

[Anonymous]

Literally was able to make eye contact and exchange silly faces/head movements with a baby, sufficient to make him giggle, while in line at Target today wearing a KN95. I think babies' capacity to pick up human facial cues is broader than we even realize.

[Anonymous]

I understand your concern, OP. I would be worried too. Babies like to and need to look at faces. I don't know what to tell you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like many other twins, my twins were born premature (6 weeks). They spent the first few weeks in the NICU where all of the staff had to be masked and even Mommy and Daddy had to be masked when we came to visit. Although our twins were probably safe to be around without masks, there were other babies in the NICU who absolutely needed everyone masked, so everyone was masked.

My twins just turned 10 and are fine, happy, healthy and cannot even remember spending time with people who were fully masked (pre-pandemic).

Your baby will be fine with masked caregivers.

I have had oreemies. They sleep most of the day and have poor vision. My 34 weeker was out in under three weeks. Not at all comparable to a baby in daycare 40 hours per week who sees no smiles or word formation for 18 months and counting.

What, are the parents masked at home, too?
I am a PP with a 16mo who has been in daycare the majority of the pandemic. There are 8 other toddlers in her class in the same situation. They’re all saying multiple words at this point. I also have a 5yo, and I don’t see any difference between my toddler’s language development and that of her older sister at the same age.
We do make a concerted effort to develop language here at home, but we did that with older DD, too.

Glad you are able to mitigate effects of masks. Low income kids will probably be the most adversely affected by masks in childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That your children with masked caregivers seem fine is not proof that it’s not hurting them. You can’t know how much better off they’d be with unmasked caregivers. My kid’s teachers at daycare are masked - and I’m glad about that - but we can’t pretend it is natural or unremarkable. It will have an effect, IMO.

Oh, great…yet another thing to add to the mom guilt list.

Oh, great... yet another parent who would rather not know the truth so they can feel better.

It’s not about you, PP.

No, it isn't. It is about children, first and foremost. And you don't need to be nasty about it. Some of us have no choice other than to use daycare, even during a pandemic, and are grateful for the precautions taken by caregivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That your children with masked caregivers seem fine is not proof that it’s not hurting them. You can’t know how much better off they’d be with unmasked caregivers. My kid’s teachers at daycare are masked - and I’m glad about that - but we can’t pretend it is natural or unremarkable. It will have an effect, IMO.

Oh, great…yet another thing to add to the mom guilt list.

Oh, great... yet another parent who would rather not know the truth so they can feel better.

It’s not about you, PP.

No, it isn't. It is about children, first and foremost. And you don't need to be nasty about it. Some of us have no choice other than to use daycare, even during a pandemic, and are grateful for the precautions taken by caregivers.

I AM ONE OF THE PARENTS WHO NEED DAYCARE! I still would like the truth about the situation and if this isn’t good for my baby! As I’ve said, I support wearing of masks by the daycare staff but can’t imagine how it’s not damaging to natural development and bonding. I’d much rather have the truth than some “make mommy feel better” crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally was able to make eye contact and exchange silly faces/head movements with a baby, sufficient to make him giggle, while in line at Target today wearing a KN95. I think babies' capacity to pick up human facial cues is broader than we even realize.

Your baby knows you. My baby has never seen the full faces of her daycare teachers nor ever seen them smile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like many other twins, my twins were born premature (6 weeks). They spent the first few weeks in the NICU where all of the staff had to be masked and even Mommy and Daddy had to be masked when we came to visit. Although our twins were probably safe to be around without masks, there were other babies in the NICU who absolutely needed everyone masked, so everyone was masked.

My twins just turned 10 and are fine, happy, healthy and cannot even remember spending time with people who were fully masked (pre-pandemic).

Your baby will be fine with masked caregivers.

I have had oreemies. They sleep most of the day and have poor vision. My 34 weeker was out in under three weeks. Not at all comparable to a baby in daycare 40 hours per week who sees no smiles or word formation for 18 months and counting.

What, are the parents masked at home, too?
I am a PP with a 16mo who has been in daycare the majority of the pandemic. There are 8 other toddlers in her class in the same situation. They’re all saying multiple words at this point. I also have a 5yo, and I don’t see any difference between my toddler’s language development and that of her older sister at the same age.
We do make a concerted effort to develop language here at home, but we did that with older DD, too.

Glad you are able to mitigate effects of masks. Low income kids will probably be the most adversely affected by masks in childcare.

I'm the PP you replied to and, yes, I agree. As per usual, lower income kids are at more of a disadvantage, I am sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That your children with masked caregivers seem fine is not proof that it’s not hurting them. You can’t know how much better off they’d be with unmasked caregivers. My kid’s teachers at daycare are masked - and I’m glad about that - but we can’t pretend it is natural or unremarkable. It will have an effect, IMO.

Oh, great…yet another thing to add to the mom guilt list.

Oh, great... yet another parent who would rather not know the truth so they can feel better.

It’s not about you, PP.

No, it isn't. It is about children, first and foremost. And you don't need to be nasty about it. Some of us have no choice other than to use daycare, even during a pandemic, and are grateful for the precautions taken by caregivers.

I AM ONE OF THE PARENTS WHO NEED DAYCARE! I still would like the truth about the situation and if this isn’t good for my baby! As I’ve said, I support wearing of masks by the daycare staff but can’t imagine how it’s not damaging to natural development and bonding. I’d much rather have the truth than some “make mommy feel better” crap.

Ok, here's the truth: no one knows. As a PP pointed out, it isn't like you can do some sort of double blind study on this or something. My pediatrician doesn't think it is of a huge concern because our toddler gets so much interaction with myself, DH, and her older sister. That's the info I have to go on. It isn't a "make mommy feel better" situation, it is an "I dont need one more possibly (who knows) unfounded worry on my plate this year when my pediatrician has said not to worry so much" situation.

I dont see any difference between my toddler's language development at 16mo and that of her sister at the same age. Toddler's classmates range in age from 14-18 months, and all have several words. Small sample size, but that's what I've got.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally was able to make eye contact and exchange silly faces/head movements with a baby, sufficient to make him giggle, while in line at Target today wearing a KN95. I think babies' capacity to pick up human facial cues is broader than we even realize.

This.