Gross motor | Birth | Flexed posture |
3 months | Head steady when seated supported | |
7 months | Sits unsupported | |
13 months | Walks | |
2 years | Jumps | |
4 years | Hops | |
Fine motor and vision | 4 months | Hand regard |
6 months | Grasps cube and transfers | |
9 months | Releases cube | |
12 months | Pincer grasp | |
18 months | Tower of 3 cubes | |
30 months | Copies circle | |
Language | 3 months | Squeals |
8 months | Rich babbling | |
12 months | Says “Mama”,” Dada” | |
18 months | 2 word phrases | |
36 months | Intelligible to strangers | |
Social | Birth | Can be comforted |
6 weeks | Smiles | |
3 months | Reciprocal smiles | |
7 months | Peek-a boo. Mouthing objects | |
12 months | Drinks from a cup. Casting | |
18 months | No more mouthing (or casting) | |
30 months | Potty trained | |
4 years | Dress independently |
General Point on Children’s Development
An early diagnosis of a developmental problem rarely leads to any definitive intervention or therapy which can cure the problem, but it may well reduce emotional or behavioural handicap in the children or their families, and sometimes allows genetic counselling to take place before the family embark on another pregnancy
In general, Primary Health Care Teams in Northumberland have a good record of identifying children with developmental problems. Virtually all children with Cerebral Palsy are identified before the age of two. Diplegias remain the most elusive. 80% of children who have significant speech delay are identified and referred for speech therapy before their third birthday. More than half of all children with special educational needs are known about before the age of two. It is virtually unheard of now for a child to enter school with a significant unidentified developmental problem.
This good record is probably due primarily to the following factors
- a good awareness in health professionals of developmental issues
- an increasing interest in child development
- an accessible primary care service and to a lesser extent to specific child health surveillance.
A “checklist” of items which should alert members of the Primary Health Care Team that they may be dealing with a serious developmental problem
in a baby: |
|
in an infant: |
|
in a toddler: |
|
at any age: |
|