Análise do desenvolvimento motor de crianças aos 48 meses de idade nascidas durante a pandemia da COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: Child motor development involves the progressive acquisition of motor skills, influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus during pregnancy has been associated with placental alterations and complications in this process, such as delays in motor skills. The context of the pandemic, including social distancing measures, economic crisis, family stress, and other factors, may have negatively affected the development of children born during this period, even without direct exposure to the virus. Objective: Compare the motor development of 48-month-old children, born during the COVID-19 pandemic, who were or were not exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study nested within a cohort initiated in 2021, which initially included 58 children at 48 months of age, of whom 13 were excluded due to prematurity and/or failure to complete all tasks of the scale, resulting in a final sample of 45 participants. The research was conducted in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, between August and December 2025, using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) to assess motor skills. Demographic and behavioral data were collected through a questionnaire administered to the parents/caregivers. Results: The results were analyzed according to the MABC-2 classification zones and compared between the groups of children exposed and unexposed to SARS-CoV-2. The exposed group consisted of 19 children, with 12 classified in the green zone, 3 in the yellow zone, and 2 in the red zone, while another 2 had inconclusive classifications due to refusal to take the test. The unexposed group comprised 26 children, with 15 classified in the green zone, 5 in the yellow zone, and 4 in the red zone, while another 2 also had inconclusive classifications due to test refusal. A similar distribution in MABC-2 classification was identified between the exposed and unexposed groups. Conclusion: Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during the gestational period was not related to changes in motor development in children at 48 months according to the MABC-2. Further studies with a larger sample size and longitudinal follow-up are needed to better understand the possible effects of exposure to the virus on motor skills in childhood.