A critical part of the brain linked to risks for anxiety later in life—the left amygdala—was significantly smaller by volume in babies of mothers who reported stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a paper published in JAMA Network Open. The right hippocampus, which governs spatial, visual and verbal memories, and the white matter were also reduced in children whose mothers reported stress. The research from Children’s National Hospital provides mounting evidence that children of the pandemic, even those far too young to understand it, need ongoing assessments of developmental Read More