As a first-time parent, it’s easy to get caught up with whether your child is progressing normally. Between the comprehensive list of milestones presented by the pediatrician and watching other little ones do things first, it can consume parents with worry. We spoke with Dr. Shelly Senders, founder and
CEO of Senders Pediatrics, about realistic milestones and when to be concerned.
What are the major milestones babies should hit? According to the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), there is a developmental milestone in four different spheres: gross motor (movement), fine motor (picking things up), social and language.
Why might a baby or toddler regress?
Senders says that regression is always a more significant problem. “I tend to be very cautious about not making parents crazy about any single milestone because it is the big picture that counts, not a specific missed milestone,” he says. “Your brain cannot do everything all at once, so some kids focus on motor development, they roll and crawl and walk early but speak later, and some are putting words together at 12 months but not walking until 18 months. As long as there is progress, I don’t get concerned. But regression without a reason (physical illness or severe social challenges (depression of a parent) is more concerning.”
How can worried parents cope with delays?
Senders notes that many factors—such as prematurity and illness or a simple ear infection—can delay development. When it comes to worrying, he adds, if you see that your child is just not like other children, that he or she stands out either in walking, talking or interacting socially, then bring it to someone’s attention.
“That could be a daycare worker, a pediatric provider or a babysitter,” he says.
He adds “socialization is a big issue these days. Your child is not socializing or making eye contact by 12-15 months, that is something worth reporting.”
He recommends looking into organizations such as Help Me Grow Ohio, a system of support for parents that provides PT, OT or speech interventions under age 3 years. Services and support are provided statewide through home visiting, early intervention, developmental screenings and connections to community resources.
“Sometimes, all you need is another pair of eyes to evaluate or to give you a home program to help make progress,” he says.
Senders says at his practice, he looks for the following among babies and toddlers:
2-month-olds smiling
4-month-olds rolling to the side and vocalizing
6-month-olds babbling and sitting up with or without support
9-month-olds moving either by rolling or creeping or crawling
12-month-olds using double consonants like dada and gaga and to be furniture walking
15-month-olds having good receptive language and walking
18-month-olds increasing numbers of words
24-month-olds putting words together
30-month-olds displaying executive function by showing that they have routines, are interfacing with adults and can play with other children
36-month-olds playing with action figures with imaginative play and play interactively with other children, not simply in parallel
