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Rachael Powell is "angry and upset" about her daughter Emmeline missing out during lockdown Image caption: Rachael Powell is "angry and upset" about her daughter Emmeline missing out during lockdown

New parents missing baby classes and playdates due to lockdown say their children's development has been hit by the impact of coronavirus.

When Rachael Powell's one-year-old daughter Emmeline met her grandparents for the first time she "absolutely screamed the place down" as she "didn't know who they were".

"I was really looking forward to going to coffee shops, meeting other mums and going to baby classes and then everything stopped," says the 39-year-old from Greater Manchester.

"I felt guilty that she didn't get any of that and have that interaction."

Education consultant and child psychologist Paul Kelly says Covid is having a "massive impact" on babies.

"We are social creatures, social beings - it is pre-programmed in our brains," he says. "When children's brains are stimulated, they grow."

Dr Kelly says there is also an impact on parents, who are missing out on "mutual support".

He says people should "grab what they can, when they can" during these uncertain times and focus on "how you can enhance [your baby's] development... rather than spending time thinking about how your child might be behind".