“Infants born during the pandemic produced significantly fewer vocalizations and had less verbal back-and-forth with their caretakers compared to those born before COVID, according to independent studies by Brown University and a national nonprofit focused on early language development.

Both research teams used the nonprofit LENA’s ‘talk pedometer’ technology to glean their findings. The wearable device delivers detailed information on what children hear throughout the day. It measures the number of words spoken near the child in addition to the child’s own language-related vocalizations.

It also counts child-adult interactions, called ‘conversational turns’, which both research groups say are critical to language acquisition.”

For more information, stream LENA’s webinar about the findings.