Ten-month-old babies and toddlers who grew up during the coronavirus crisis were unable to distinguish between frightened and happy faces, research by Utrecht University has shown.
The researchers wanted to find out if the social restrictions during the pandemic, such as mask wearing and lockdown, influenced the early neurological development of babies.
“It’s the age when babies learn much from facial expressions,” researcher Carlijn van den Boomen said. “They learn to distinguish and interpret emotion.”
