Medical professionals recognize a schedule of development that newborn children should adhere to. If they fall behind, they are said to be experiencing a developmental delay, which could be a sign of a much more severe medical condition. As a result, the milestones of development that a newborn should progress through become an integral part of determining how healthy they are.
While there are a small handful of different opinions on what those milestones are, the difference is often in the details, and the developmental milestones set out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is widely regarded as one of the most reliable.
Developmental Milestones According to the CDC
The CDC recognizes that children develop in lots of different ways. Whether it is physical, mental, or social, they learn and develop and grow rapidly during their early years.
The CDC provides developmental milestones in these categories for children at 2, 4, 6, and 9 months old, and for them at 1 year, 1.5 years, and every year following up to the age of 5. A quick peek at their developmental milestones finds no surprises:
Physical | Mental | Social | |
2 months old | Holds up head and can push up when on stomach | Follows things with eyes and pays attention to faces | Turns head towards sounds and smiles at people |
6 months old | Rolls over in both directions and can sit without support | Puts things in its mouth and shows curiosity by reaching for things | Likes to play with others and responds to the emotions of others |
1 year old | Stands and can walk short distances without support | Associates things with their correct word and uses objects correctly | Is nervous around strangers and cries when parents leave |
3 years old | Climbs or descends stairs and runs easily | Plays make-believe and talks well enough for strangers to understand | Copies adults and understands the concept of possession |
5 years old | Can hold their balance and begin to write legibly | Can count and tell simple stories | Understands the difference between reality and make-believe, and shows more independence |
Developmental Delays Can Be Caused by Birth Injuries
Even though this is a schedule that all children should be able to keep up with, not all can. Some children fall behind as they struggle with a developmental goal, and then catch up once they overcome whatever obstacles were holding them back. Others, however, are unable to overcome the challenges they face.
Many times, those challenges are the result of a traumatic birth injury that they received during delivery or before birth. For example, if a newborn is deprived of oxygen during delivery or while still in the womb, they can develop far more slowly in utero. Those developmental delays slowly become worse as they get older, causing them to miss more and more developmental milestones and fall behind their peers.
Birth Injury Attorneys at Gilman & Bedigian
Birth injuries can wreak havoc on a child's development and cause problems for the rest of their life. Getting them the compensation they need to overcome these obstacles is crucial. Contact the birth injury attorneys at Gilman & Bedigian today to get started.
