31 Oct When to Worry About Missed Milestones
3 min. readAll children are different. They each have their personalities, strengths, and also weaknesses. Milestones are what is considered “normal” for your child’s development. This means that most children learn a new skill or ability by a certain age. For example, most children learn to sit unassisted by six months and learn to stand while holding onto furniture for around one year. But as stated earlier, every child is different and may reach certain milestones at their own pace. This still raises the question of when you should worry about your child’s development if you notice they are falling behind. Here are a few things the CDC recommends you look out for as your child grows
2 Month Milestones
At two months of age, you can expect your little one to start smiling, make different sounds and noises, turn their head towards a sound, follow people or objects with their eyes, and be able to hold up their head.
If your child is not responding to loud noises, is unable to follow things as they move with their eyes, is not smiling at people, or cannot hold their head up while lying on their belly, you might want to speak with your baby’s pediatrician.
6 Month Milestones
At around six months, your baby should recognize familiar and strange faces. They should also enjoy playing with their parents, respond to their names, make sounds that indicate happiness or sadness, start to form the sound of consonants, reach for objects, roll over in both directions, and sit unsupported.
If your child is unable to respond to sounds, does not smile or laugh, does not roll over at all, does not reach for things, and is not showing affection to their parents, siblings, or caregivers, then they may be falling behind in their milestones.
1 Year Milestones
One-year-old children become very busy and active. Around this age, you can typically expect your child to start walking while holding onto furniture or even standing unsupported, incorporating certain gestures into their communication like shaking their head no or waving goodbye, having separation anxiety when a parent leaves, or copy gestures like clapping.
If by the first year of life, it may be concerning if your child has not started to crawl, cannot stand when supported, does not wave goodbye or shake their head no, can’t search for an object that has been hidden, or begins to lose skills that they were previously able to do.
2 Year Milestones
Most children by the age of 2 can be expected to copy other children and adults, become excited to see other children, point to objects when asked, recognize the names of people and body parts, can follow simple directions, can kick a ball, get on furniture without being helped, walk up and down the stairs while holding a railing, and can draw a circle.
You might become concerned if your toddler is unable to follow simple directions, does not walk, is unable to use two-word phrases, cannot name familiar objects, or begins to lose skills they were previously able to do.
What To Do If Your Child Is Not Reaching Milestones
It can be stressful to notice your child is not reaching the same milestones as their peers. Fortunately, many children who experience a delay in milestones catch up to their peers with the right interventions. Please speak to your pediatrician if you have concerns regarding your child’s development.