Developmental Milestones: When to seek help
In a recent poll of 300 Filipino parents, 7 in 10 parents expressed that they were concerned their child might not be meeting their developmental milestones.
What are developmental milestones for?
Skills like social smiles, saying first words, waving bye bye, crawling, walking, playing are part of developmental milestones. When we see charts, apps and sites, these are presented as age-specific tasks that we compare to what our children are already able to do. They are functional skills that most children can do at a certain age range. We highlight most because although we show age ranges, we also have to respect the individual differences of each child who develops their own way.
For general guides to the developmental milestones from 2 months to 5 years old, view the summary here.
When should I be concerned?
Professionals are trained to screen children for delays in development. We are also expected to be able to guide families through healthy normal development. Anytime a parent is concerned, your family can reach out to your pediatrician or other providers when you attend your regular visits so that they can spend time to closely observe your child and talk about your concerns.
In the poll with parents, 68% of the parents had shared that they were concerned that their children were not meeting their milestones. Nearly 75% of parents usually search online resources and only 40% approach health professionals and child development specialists. I am a strong believer that parents are an important partner in monitoring development, therefore anytime you are worried or concerned, allow your community and health care providers to support you. Most providers are collaborative and can help sift through the myriad of data you see and read online to guide you through the best plan for your individual child.
Read more on developmental screening here.
References:
- Zubler et. al., "Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools, PEDIATRICS Volume 148 no. 3, March 2022.
- CDC's Developmental Milestones
- C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan health, Your Child | Parenting Guides and Resources
- Ages and Stages of healthychildren.org
- Instagram polls on @thegrowingbrainph