Illustration of a little girl with a mask. - Pixabay

  • What will be the impact of these two months without friends, without going out and without grandparents in a vacuum on children under construction? It is far too early to know.
  • But already, some have developed various disorders during or after confinement, which sometimes worry parents.
  • To ensure a safe return to school, doctors advise parents not to underestimate these little symptoms.

A stuttering which appears, the pee in the bed which returns, a phobia of going out which settles ... So many small signals that many parents have noticed during or after confinement in their children. And to which we must pay attention.

This is the message that many pediatricians and psychiatrists have. Because confinement rhyme with annoyance for many parents, and with behavioral problems in some children.

"Even in our arms, he asked for arms! "

“After ten sleepless nights and days when my son was hyperactive, we couldn't take it anymore, says Stéphanie *, 35 years old. We try to be patient, but hey, after a while… ”Her 2-year-old boy started talking at the start of confinement. “From the earliest days, he was very demanding to learn words. There was an overstimulation on our contact. Normally, it's tiring, but more in a vacuum with his parents, after three weeks, he had enriched his vocabulary with a hundred words and counted to ten. His nervousness has also increased tenfold. At the cost of sleepless nights, perpetual contact requests and regressions…

illustration of a child asking for a hug. - Pixabay

"Even in our arms, he asked for arms! continues Stéphanie. And I had the impression of finding him at 6 months, impossible for him to fall asleep alone. Suddenly, I put him to sleep in my arms, and as soon as I put him down, he woke up. It was total delirium. In addition to exhaustion, guilt is invited. At the end, the parents decide to teleconsult on May 1. A real relief. “Our pediatrician explained to us that there could be many reasons: age, at 2 years old, is the time of separation, stress from the coronavirus and confinement, overstimulation… He prescribed us homeopathic syrup to find sleep, Quietude, which worked well. He reminded us more firmly: he fell asleep in his bed. And we took our daily ride time, so that he rests his brain in the stroller. "

"A need in mental health far beyond the patients who consult"

A not uncommon situation. Fabienne Kochert, pediatrician, saw on May 11, the start of the deconfinement, arriving in his office many children who had gained weight or suffered from sleep disorders. "Children are not the target of the Covid, but they suffered from confinement," says the president of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA). Another proof: a British study by the University of Oxford on 10,000 parents shows that children from 4 to 10 years old presented an increase in emotional difficulties after a month of confinement. This does not surprise Richard Delorme, head of the child psychiatry department at Debré hospital. “Overall, we follow in our department between 10,000 and 20,000 patients. With our pedopsydebre site, we quickly reached 30,000 consultations and on May 11, we were at 600,000 visits. We were surprised by the request. Which indicates a need in mental health far beyond the patients who consult. "

The doctor points out that the signs of discomfort are very diverse. "These are not psychiatric disorders in the strict sense, but there is an increase in eating disorders, sleep, anxiety ... Many parents have identified symptoms of low intensity, which should not be ignored: children who have gained 5 kg, who have remained close to their parents, who have become more irritable ... ”These signals are insidiously installed. "A child does not wake up saying he is depressed," he says. Especially at an age when he discovers and tames his emotions, parents must be extra vigilant if they notice a change in his attitude.

"Accumulation of risk factors"

Not easy to assess the benefit-risk ratio of this confinement on the youngest. Some pay a heavy price when the food balance is upset or they are victims of family violence.

“The 119 has never worked so well, unfortunately, blows Richard Delorme. This shows, in my opinion, that child advocates are not heard enough. It is early July and a survey on the well-being of adolescents between 9 and 14 years old has just been launched, while the beginning of deconfinement is already far away and the children are going on vacation. "

For him, this period could have been traumatic. More school, more friends, more grandparents, more outing… “A survey showed that after the SARS crisis, a third of the children interviewed suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. What is impressive is the accumulation of risk factors. We have children who today are undergoing terrorist attack alerts at school, some of them have experienced terrorist attacks, daily stress on the environment and there, confinement. Not to mention the growing social crisis. "

This impact on psychological health, which can only be assessed in the long term, has encouraged paediatricians to insist that the school reopen. Even two weeks. "It's really important to see the friends again, to say goodbye, it made it possible to conclude a situation," assures Richard Delorme. Otherwise we would have stayed on the idea of ​​a crisis. And this helped relieve parents, who for some were on the verge of parental burnout. "

"Without this return to normality before the summer vacation, we would have had more complications", adds Fabienne Kochert. Who fears all the same that these disorders are revived by the return. "Among those who had learning difficulties, after several months away from school, there is a risk of having great anxieties". But also in anxious children, especially since it is not clear how the Covid will evolve in the fall. “There have been many orders and counter-orders for the general population, but also concerning children. Some have developed a fear of the outside world. "

How can we help these troubled children?

The long vacation should help ease anxiety and tension. But if they persist, "it is important to re-establish the dialogue, to reassure them, to talk about it with the grandparents, which makes it possible to offset the conflicts, to tackle the question of suffering, list Richard Delorme. And to put joy and spontaneity back into everyday life. "But also to rest, because" parents who are doing well are children who are doing better. I think the goal of the vacation is for parents to take time for themselves. ” "And to resume the rhythm, to have well organized days, to set a firm, but benevolent framework", advises Fabienne Kochert.

Second reflex: "we have to see why the child is not doing well," she insists. If parents wonder, two sites can help them: mpedia, which answers certain concrete questions and pedopsydebré, which offers sheets and tests to assess the difficulties of his child. And do not hesitate to consult your pediatrician, general practitioner or a shrink if the troubles persist. "We went through a crazy thing and I will be curious to see how the children recover," questions Stéphanie. It is not in French culture to ask for help, it is seen as a failure, when it is just to show intelligence. Many parents do not have this reflex, when it is important in this period. And even all of life. "

* The first name has been changed.

Toulouse

Coronavirus: Containment more traumatic than it seems for children according to the first results of a study

Nice

Coronavirus: "Containment can cause a strong sense of rejection and guilt"

  • Confinement
  • Coronavirus
  • Sleep
  • Psychology
  • Health
  • Child