7 Signs Your Child’s Development Is on Track

Parenthood is a journey full of happiness, endless questions and new discoveries. We celebrate every milestone from their first words to first steps, but beneath it is a constant worry “Are they doing enough?”, “Are they on the right track?” Concerns about child development is absolutely normal.

Understanding the nuances of child development helps to alleviate this anxiety, thus giving you freedom and peace of mind to enjoy your little ones’ growth. While each child is different and grows and develops at their own pace, here are certain markers that indicate your child’s growth is on the right track. However, one should also know how to spot the red flag signs in child development that could need medical assistance.

7 Key signs that your child’s development is progressing as expected¹,²,³,⁴

1. Achieving Communication Milestones:

From birth, infants start learning communication skills – simple sounds to a complex interplay of verbal and non-verbal cues. It’s starts from babbling and simple gestures like pointing. Which evolves into responding to their name, following simple instructions and eventually speaking short sentences. The journey from understanding language (receptive) and expressing thoughts (expressive) is a milestone of child development. By the age of one, most children speak few short sentences. Regular improvement in conversational skills despite small imperfections signals healthy development, making sure to avoid red flag signs in child development.

2. Strengthening Emotional Bonds:

The ability to bond and interact with others, by displaying a range of emotions and participating in back and forth play is the cornerstone of child development. When you child smiles back at you or joins other in an imaginative play– they are positive signs of child development. They develop empathy to understand /share others feelings once matured. These are needed to navigate relationships. These key factors of child development shape emotional maturity and influence social interactions in life.

3. Mastering Gross motor skills:

These skills are all about your child learning to use their large muscles for movement and balance. The progression from a baby lifting their head to rolling, sitting, crawling, standing and walking. These keep track of their development. While each child’s pace is different, there is a generalized sequence. For example, many kids sit unsupported by 7 – 8 months and start walking by 12 – 18 months. Delays in these simple skills can be red flag signs in child development.

4. Refining Fine motor skills:

Beyond gross motor skills, fine motor skills focus on co-ordination of finger and hand muscles. These movements revolve around grasping and picking up small items, holding a crayon/pencil, stacking blocks. These skills helps improve dexterity which is useful during feeding and dressing. For example, by 12 months, kids use a pincer grasp (forefinger and thumb) to pick up items. Fine motor skill milestones are important as they depict healthy neurological developments. Delayed fine motor skills are red flag signs in child development.

5. Engaging in Play and Exploration:

Play in childhood goes beyond entertainment, but has an important role in child development. It aids the child to further learn and develop their cognitive, social and emotional skills. If you observe that your child is curious, eagerly explores the surroundings and engages in imaginative play (solitary, parallel and finally cooperative play) with different objects shows signs of healthy cognitive developments. This capability of being able to immerse themselves in different scenarios reflect their problem –solving skills and understanding of social skills.

6. Problem-Solving Skills:

Red flag signs in child development do appear during the problem-solving stage. If you observe how your child tackles different challenges such as reaching a toy on a high shelf, or solving a shape puzzle or stacking blocks. As they grow and mature the problems become much more complex and involve a lot of planning. If your child shows initiative in solving problems it indicates good cognitive health in child development.

7. Adapting to new situations:

The ability of a child to cope, change and adapt to new surroundings showcases their emotional resilience. While its normal to hesitate at first, but if your child, is curious about the new place and is eager to explore and interact with new people instead of being distressed then they are demonstrating healthy social-economical coping mechanisms.

When to talk to a professional?¹,²

While the above-mentioned signs of child development mentioned above are insightful. However, when in doubt always consult a medical professional. If consistent concerns about your child’s growth trajectory pop-up always get in touch with a pediatrician. They will offer expert advice and conduct proper screenings which will sooth your worry. If the need arises, they will also refer and guide you to the right professionals. A pediatrician will be able to assess and detect red flag signs in child development quicker and help prevent and neurodevelopmental variations.

Red flag signs in child development:¹,²

While each child develops at their own pace, there are certain red flag signs in child development that might need prompt attention. They aren’t meant to be alarming, but highlight areas when professional aid is essential. For instance: In 2 – 4 months an infant not smiling or lack of head control is concerning. Similarly, 8 – 12 months children should be able to sit and stand independently. In terms of communication, by 15-18 months a child should be able speak few words. Inability to perform these skills are red flag signs in child development. Remember, early identification of red flag signs in child development and intervention of the same is ideal to child development.

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This journey of child development isn’t a race, it unfolds naturally at each child’s own pace and experiences. While the above seven key signs are useful, instead of focusing on comparisons, look at the bigger picture- focus on celebrating each milestone, nurture their curiosity and be a present in this journey. Always consult your pediatrician when worried about red flag signs in child development. Being proactive is crucial in your child’s development.

Click here to view the Child Development Stages Chart (0–16 Years)

Reference:

1. Indian Academy of Pediatrics. (n.d.). IAP Parental Guideline: Normal Development. https://iapindia.org/pdf/Ch-023-IAP-Parental-Guideline-Normal-Development.pdf

2. Indian Academy of Pediatrics. (n.d.). Upgraded Parenting and Child Development Guide. https://iapindia.org/pdf/upgraded-parenting-and-child-development-guide.pdf

3. National Health Mission. (n.d.). Journey of The First 1000 Days. https://nhm.gov.in/images/pdf/programmes/RBSK/Resource_Documents/Journey_of_The_First_1000_Days.pdf

4. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). StatPearls: Child Development. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557518/