One of the most nerve-wracking experiences as a new parent is when your baby is not meeting a developmental milestone. You may wonder if you’re doing something wrong, if something is wrong with your baby, or if you are overreacting.
Well, don’t worry as you are not alone!
This blog outlines some important milestones and what to do if your baby is going through a developmental milestone delay.
Introduction To Developmental Delay
Babies reach milestones at a definite time. Reaching them later than expected does not necessarily indicate the cause for concern because many newborns show signs of development at their own pace.
However, baby developmental milestone delays do suggest the possibility of a problem or an underlying condition.
What To Do About Baby Developmental Milestone Delays?
If you notice any baby developmental delay, you should see a doctor. The doctor will likely perform the following procedures on your baby:
Developmental Evaluation
Specialists perform a developmental evaluation. A developmental psychologist, developmental pediatrician, or pediatric neurologist usually does the test. Developmental evaluation is an exam to determine whether your child is lagging behind or not. The tests are performed at this stage to diagnose certain conditions.
Developmental Screening
Developmental screening detects any possible impairment in the development as the child grows. The doctor will ask you a few questions about your child and interact with your child to gauge their capabilities, reflexes, and responses. If they detect any delay, they may begin with the treatment.
What Are The Normal Developmental Milestones?
Developmental milestones are divided into the following parts:
Motor Milestones
The motor developmental milestones include the ability of the baby to sit and start to crawl. It tracks the baby’s gross motor skills on their core and upper body and their hands and feet.
What you can do? Push your child’s arms up while they lay on their tummy. You can lift and hold up your child’s head and see if they can bring their hands to their mouth. You should also ensure they can move their legs and arms when excited.
For babies of four to six months, you should ensure they can support themselves while sitting and can reach for nearby toys.
Sensory Milestones
Sensory milestones determine whether your baby can track objects visually and if they are sleeping well. It also follows the development of your baby’s senses.
At 0-6 months, a baby loves to be touched, tickled and cuddled. You can try giving your baby a quick massage after changing their diapers. You can also sing rhymes to your baby for communication development.
Another way to boost sensory development is to play music on your TV and see how your baby responds to it.
Communication Milestones
Communication milestones are a standard baby developmental milestone that track when the baby will say their first word or respond to your questions. You can try talking to your baby to see if they respond.
If your child makes a speech error, you can repeat their statement with the correction. You can also try adding new words to incorporate more complex expressions without changing their meaning. For example, if your child says big cow, you can try saying, “yes, it is a big cow!”
Feeding Milestones
Another common baby’s developmental milestone delay entails feeding. The feeding milestone largely depends on when the baby will be ready to eat finger food and how many times a baby needs feeding. So, yes, this milestone also keeps track of the feeding phase of the baby.
Encourage your baby to feed themselves. Allow them to get messy and let them use their hands while feeding. Explain to your baby why food is good and why they should eat it. Also, ensure the utensils you give your baby are lightweight and not sharp-edged.
Conclusion
Early intervention in your baby’s development is vital in helping children reach their full potential. If you have any concerns about your child not reaching their developmental milestone, don’t panic and don’t hesitate to contact your pediatrician. They will better be able to help identify any issues and recommend the best course of action for helping your little one meet their developmental goals. Happy parenting!
Also read: Newborn Milestones From 3 to 6 Months