Original Investigation

Neurodevelopmental Diagnoses Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

JAMA Network Open 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.5683

April 08, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT

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How was the COVID-19 pandemic associated with rates of new neurodevelopmental diagnoses among children 6 years or younger in Ontario, Canada?This population-based cohort study of 291 896 children showed no significant differences in new neurodevelopmental diagnoses from prepandemic rates either during or after the pandemic.This study suggests that the rapid deployment of virtual care delivery in Ontario may have been associated with the maintenance of health care access during the pandemic and after the pandemic.

Corresponding Author: Sloane J. Freeman, MD, St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, 61 Queen St E, 2nd Floor, Pediatric Clinic, Toronto, ON M4C 2T2, Canada (sloane.freeman@unityhealth.to).

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