It is really astounding to see how babies and toddlers grow and learn so much in their early years. They start from being helpless and unable to do anything on their own. They will slowly explore the world and process all they see, hear, and feel. They will also learn new skills in various stages and timelines.
Every baby is different, and one child might reach a certain milestone earlier than someone else’s kid. While there are general timelines for when a baby can learn to crawl or walk, they are not set in stone. There are also external reasons, like circumstances or changes that can affect a tiny person’s development.
What Is Developmental Delay?
It can be tough for parents to decide whether their little one is really delayed or simply taking its time. They may also not understand the reasons why this is happening. While a delay of a few days or weeks should not worry anyone, a one-year-old who cannot sit up or crawl can be a worrying sign.
Overall, a baby should be meeting some milestones in many skills other than just motor:
- Speech and Language: this involves babbling, imitating sounds, all the way to speaking full words and sentences.
- Feeding: babies should know how to move their lips to suck on the bottle or breast, and eventually learn how to eat pureed and non-pureed food and drink from a cup.
- Gross Motor: this involves the ability to sit up, crawl, walk, run, and many other physical abilities.
- Fine Motor: these skills include grasping items and eventually using their hands for drawing, cutting, and even removing screws.
- Social-Emotional: newborns should start responding when someone is talking to them, and eventually learn to interact with others and have an interest in building friendships.
- Self-Sufficiency: toddlers should learn how to do daily tasks themselves, like removing their clothes, feeding themselves, and taking care of their own hygiene.
Some kids might be more advanced in certain skills and lag in others, and delays may also be observed only in one aspect. Parents know their children best and while they may want to compare their babies with others, they should also understand the difference between delayed development and their little one following its own timeline.
Children should always be making small efforts or progress to learning more advanced skills. If they seem to have plateaued or struggle to improve, then this can be a sign.
Getting Help With A Development Delay
Pediatricians run simple tests and observations during check-ups to identify any delays. Parents can also discuss any concerns they have with the doctor so that they can assess the situation. If there seems to be a cause for worry, they will receive a recommendation to meet with an occupational therapist so that further tests can be conducted.
Once they have been assessed and should a delay be identified, the therapist can work with the child to overcome these difficulties and assist the little one in making progress.
Conclusion
Parents love seeing their babies reach milestones as a sign that their little ones are growing up well. When a baby seems to be delayed, though, it is not always a sign of problems with the child. For expert advice and help, they should always turn to their doctor.