(The Hill) - Babies born during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic are heading to preschool and kindergarten, and experts are waiting anxiously to see its impact on the young learners.

Concerns about cognitive and social delays, such as difficulties sharing or following directions, have arisen, as conflicting studies and educators' anecdotes emerge about 4- and 5-year-olds.

While devastating consequences were immediately noticeable for older students during the pandemic, it is too early to get a definitive answer on how it affected those born during the chaos, making vigilance from educators a necessary factor in the upcoming school year, experts stress.

One study published recently in Infancy looked at data from 330 infants born from October 2016 to August 2021 and found there was lit

See Full Page