Prosopagnosia (face blindness) and child health during the COVID-19 pandemic
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Prosopagnosia (face blindness) and child health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rachel Abraham Joseph Professor, Liberty University School of Nursing, Lynchburg VA, US
Beth Carter Graduate student, Liberty University School of Nursing, Lynchburg VA, US

Why you should read this article:
  • To learn about prosopagnosia (face blindness), including its types, prevalence, diagnosis and care

  • To consider the potential effects of mask-wearing mandates due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on child health, particularly social and developmental outcomes

  • To identify the importance of using body language, gesture and verbal communication when visual information is reduced as a result of mask wearing

Prosopagnosia or ‘face blindness’ is the inability to recognise people’s faces. There are two types: congenital or developmental prosopagnosia, which is the most common, and acquired prosopagnosia, which may occur secondary to brain tumours, stroke or other brain disorders. The authors of this article explored if mask wearing as a result of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may affect social and developmental outcomes in children, including the development of prosopagnosia. Limited research on this topic is available and, although some relevant publications were found, no definitive evidence of mask-induced prosopagnosia in children was identified. However, nurses should be aware of this issue and discuss coping strategies to support children with the condition. Longitudinal studies on outcomes in children from different age groups who grew up during the COVID-19 pandemic will provide further insight.

Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2023.e1454

Peer review

This article has been subject to open peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

rachelajoseph@gmail.com

Conflict of interest

None declared

Joseph RA, Carter B (2023) Prosopagnosia (face blindness) and child health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2023.e1454

Published online: 23 January 2023

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