During childhood, children develop motor, language, and psychosocial skills through external stimuli. These skills evolve progressively, and based on observations of the development of children considered healthy, so-called "developmental milestones", organized by age group.
In other words, today there are minimum and maximum limits established for a child to acquire certain skills. Delays in reaching these milestones may indicate the presence of developmental disorders or disabilities.
In this article, you will understand what the milestones of child development are and discover the main points of attention and care that parents should observe.
Stages of Child Neurological Development
Early childhood, which spans from birth to age 6, is the phase in which a child has their first contact with their own senses and the process of brain maturation takes place. During this period, they progressively acquire their motor, cognitive, and social skills.
In order to help parents and healthcare professionals more clearly observe whether a child's development is within the expected range, there are "developmental milestones." These milestones represent the skills a child should acquire during early childhood and establish a minimum and maximum period for each to be achieved.
These milestones are:
Motor Development
Between 2 and 3 months: able to hold their head up;
At 4 months: able to grasp objects;
Between 6 and 7 months: able to sit without support;
At 10 months: standing up;
Up to 1 year and 4 months: able to walk without support.
Language Development
At birth: reacting to sounds and identifying the mother's voice;
Between 2 and 3 months: begin to make vowel sounds;
At 7 months: understanding their own name and beginning to understand "no";
At 9 months: begin to pronounce syllables;
1 year: speaking their first words;
3 years: being able to maintain a dialogue.
Socio-emotional development
At 2 months: smiling in response to stimuli;
At 9 months: showing fear of strangers;
1 year old: asking for and sharing toys
However, while monitoring these milestones, it's important to remember that each child has their own pace and may acquire some skills more quickly than others. On the other hand, it's also crucial to be aware of significant delays.
What are developmental delays?
Neurodevelopmental delay occurs when a child fails to acquire a particular skill within the expected timeframe. For example, when it takes longer than normal for a child to learn to sit up independently.
This delay can be caused by neurological factors, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), for example. Other causes include genetic factors, such as Down Syndrome, and general complications, such as some congenital diseases.
However, contrary to popular belief, a delay in neurological development does not necessarily mean that the child has a disorder. In some cases, the delay in acquiring a particular skill may be caused by a lack of adequate external stimuli.
This lack of stimulation, however, when left uncorrected, can indeed contribute to the emergence of some developmental disorder in the future.
Developmental milestones, attention and care
Especially in the first years of life, it is important for parents to provide constant stimulation that helps the child develop their motor, cognitive, and social skills. This stimulation can occur through small activities, such as talking to the child or offering objects for them to try to hold.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health offers a series of guidelines and tips on how to stimulate the development of certain skills in children. Among these, we can mention:
- From birth to 2 months of age: encourage the child to lift their head by placing them on their stomach and drawing their attention.
- From 6 to 9 months: talk to the child, sing, and use words that they can repeat. Encourage the child to speak.
- From 1 year to 1 year and 3 months: encourage the child to try walking alone.
- 2 years to 2 years and 6 months: Encourage the child to develop self-care skills. Allow them to feed, bathe, and dress themselves.
But even more important than parental attention is regular check-ups with a pediatrician. After all, they have the most trained eye to identify possible developmental delays and can more accurately analyze the causes of these delays.
In addition, the Ministry of Health also recommends that routine appointments be scheduled according to the following timetable:
- Week 1;
- 1st month;
- 2nd month;
- 4th month;
- 6th month;
- 9th month;
- 12th month;
- 18th month;
- 24th month;
- 36th month.
- From the age of 2, check-ups should be annual and close to the child's birthday.
It is during routine checkups that the pediatrician closely monitors which developmental milestones the child is reaching, as well as identifying those that are not. If delays are identified, the pediatrician will refer the family to a neuropediatrician if an unusual delay is detected.
From this point on, follow-up with the neuropediatrician begins, and issues related to development are explored in greater depth.
Postgraduate studies in Pediatric Neurology
Neuropediatrics . is the area of medicine that studies neurological issues in children and adolescents, focusing on monitoring the development of the nervous and muscular systems. This specialty is responsible for the diagnosis, care, and treatment of developmental disorders
The postgraduate program in Neuropediatrics offers the opportunity to deepen your knowledge in the field and enhance your skills in caring for children and adolescents with neurological issues.
Therefore, at São Leopoldo Mandic, the medical postgraduate courses offer in-depth content and the highest number of practical hours on the market, with care provided to real patients, previously selected according to each course module.
Under the supervision of renowned professors active in the market, students provide services applying best practices and the latest technologies in the field.
Click here to learn more about the postgraduate program in Pediatric Neurology at São Leopoldo Mandic.
