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Raising a child is no easy task, but a rollercoaster of discoveries! Every parent waits for their child’s milestones, from first words to first step! Sometimes these developments take an unexpected turn causing delayed growth in child and developmental delays in children. Recognizing and analyzing reason for delayed growth in child and developmental delays in children is important. Catching these growth and developmental delays in children early in life, is a step towards receiving adequate nutrition and support so they flourish and grow. Let’s take a closer look at the complexities of growth and developmental delay causes in children.
Parents always monitor their kid’s physical growth, making note of their height and weight. Delayed growth is a significant prominent gap where the child’s development falls behind expected norms for their age or sex. Each child may have different growth patterns, but those with prominent gaps require prompt action and attention.1,2
Picture a group of saplings, some thrive, grow tall and bloom at similar times, while some constantly stay small despite the amount of care and nutrition given. This simple analogy depicts the delayed growth meaning in children. Delayed growth meaning doesn’t just highlight about ‘being small or underweight’ but rather depicts the harsh reality of developmental delay.
It’s vital to distinguish between slow growth and a true delayed growth. Some children are naturally smaller due to genetic factors. This deviation signifies growth issue that needs investigation when discussing delayed growth in child.3
If your child is constantly showing a low percentile on growth charts (lesser than 3rd or 5th percentile for both height and weight) or a slow growth rate, without much change over the past six months. The simplest observation being your child’s clothes and shoe size hasn’t changed as they age as compared to their peers. These indicators may signal a delayed growth in child. In case of a developmental delay in children consult a pediatrician. Early detection of delayed growth in child and developmental delay in children is helpful for specific interventions.1
Apart from physical growth, kids also develop a range of skills such as cognitive, motor, social and communication domains. But, what does Developmental delay definition mean? Developmental delay definition means the child faces an issue in reaching different milestones. Developmental delay definition occur when children are unable to achieve these milestones within the selected time range. Inability to walk is motor developmental delay and a 2 year old unable to speak is a language developmental delay. Cognitive delay in a 4 year old unable to count numbers. Developmental delay definition highlights such growth gaps making it easier to get the required help for the same.4
Children with cognitive delays would face difficulties in solving age- appropriate puzzles and games, and issues with understanding and comprehending instructions given, which could cause setbacks in developing academic skills later in life.
Gross motor skills such as difficulty in large muscle movements like walking, crawling and jumping and fine motor movements inability to hold or grasp objects.
Kids face difficulties in both understanding what someone is saying and speaking verbally and articulating words and sentences.
Kids are unable to managing their emotions, interact with people or even form relationships and behave appropriately in public.
Developmental delay in children has a poor impact on their life. A delay in any of the above mentioned skills limits their participation in day-to-day activities like walking, talking, holding. Cognitive delay further affects their ability to learn, understand and comprehend topics. So what are Growth & developmental delay causes in kids?
Delayed growth and developmental delay causes in children stem from a mix of various reasons – genetic factors and syndromes, pregnancy or birth related complications, nutrient deficiencies, infections or exposure to toxins.5,6
Watch out for poor weight gain, short stature and delayed puberty as signs of growth delay. Developmental delay and cognitive delay: absence of babbling, inability to walk independently, lack of speech, difficulty in simple counting and limited social skills. Although each child grows and learns at their own pace, but a consistent delay in growth and inability to acquire skills needs immediate attention. 4
Regular visits to the pediatrician to track a kid’s height, weight, and head circumference with the help of charts. Growth charts monitor growth, thus helping pediatricians in detection of delayed growth.7
Apart from supporting their overall growth, supplementing the child’s diet with the right nutrition is even more important. However, it’s recommended to consult with a dietitian for a customized nutrition plan to make sure that your child’s nutritional needs are met by including:
Aids in muscle growth and repair. Sources: milk, yogurt, curd, paneer, pulses, dals, eggs and chicken, fish.
Vital for bone health and growth. Sources: Milk and milk products (milk, yogurt, curd, paneer), green leafy vegetables (spinach, cowpea leaves, drumstick leaves, amaranth leaves).l
Better bone health. Sources: Fatty fish, egg yolk, sunlight
Needed for red blood cell development and preventing anemia. Sources: red meat, beans, poultry, lentils, green leafy vegetables.
Needed for immune function. Sources: nuts, seeds, meat and dairy.
Another simple way is adding Complan to their breakfast in a glass of milk or a smoothie or even their oats! Complan is a milk based protein with 63% extra protein as compared to other malt based drink brands. It has 34 vital nutrients and is proven to support growth and development.
Complan is not just a nutritional drink, it is a delicious addition to a kid’s daily diet. It comes in 4 kid-friendly flavours.
Try the lip smacking flavours of Complan now. Order from quick delivery stores like Zepto, BlinkIt, Swiggy Instamart or even the Zydus India website, Amazon and Flipkart
In conclusion, be mindful of delayed growth in child and developmental delays in children. Creating a safe home environment full of play and communication is key. Remember nutrition is equally important and when in doubt, always visit a doctor. Early diagnosis and intervention make a difference and helps them flourish.
1. What is the meaning of delayed growth in child?
Delayed growth meaning in children is when a prominent and consistent lag is noticed in the growth causing stunted height, and lower weight over a period of time.
2. How do I know if my child has a developmental delay?
A developmental delay is seen when the child constantly has delays in motor skills, language, socio-emotional, adaptive and cognitive delay.
1. Smith, A. E., Shah, M., & Badireddy, M. (2023, November 12). Failure to Thrive. StatPearls Publishing. In StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459287/
2. Upadhyay, R. P., Pathak, B. G., Raut, S. V., Adhikari, S., Bhattarai, P., & Agrawal, S. (2024). Linear growth beyond 24 months and child neurodevelopment in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 1 BMC Pediatrics, 24(1), 101. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-04521-0
3. Sanefuji, M., Sonoda, Y., Ito, Y., Ogawa, M., Tocan, V., Inoue, H., Ochiai, M., Shimono, M., Suga, R., Senju, A., Honjo, S., Kusuhara, K., Ohga, S., & Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group. (2021). Physical growth and neurodevelopment during the first year of life: A cohort study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. BMC Pediatrics, 21(360). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-021-02815-9
4. Chatterjee, N., Thadani, A. A., Bansal, A., Mukherjee, S. B., Datta, A. K., Gupta, P., … & Dalwai, S. (2022). Normal Development and When to Suspect Abnormal Development?. Indian Academy of Pediatrics.
5. Shchubelka, K., Turova, L., Wolfsberger, W., Kalanquin, K., Williston, K., Kurutsa, O., Makovetska, A., Hasynets, Y., Mirutenko, V., Vakerych, M., & Oleksyk, T. K. (2024). Genetic determinants of global developmental delay and intellectual disability in Ukrainian children. Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders, 16(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09528-x
6. Shchubelka, K., Turova, L., Wolfsberger, W., Kalanquin, K., Williston, K., Kurutsa, O., Makovetska, A., Hasynets, Y., Mirutenko, V., Vakerych, M., & Oleksyk, T. K. (2024). Genetic determinants of global developmental delay and intellectual disability in Ukrainian children. Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders, 16(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09528-x
7. Yang, Y., Shi, L., Jin, X., Zhang, J., Zhao, N., Wang, H., … & Li, Z. (2023). Association of perinatal factors with suspected developmental delay in urban children aged 1–36 months – a large-scale cross-sectional study in China. BMC Pediatrics, 23, 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03819-9
8. World Health Organization. (2006). WHO Child Growth Standards: length/height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, weight-for-height and 1 body mass index-for-age: Methods and development.
9. McCarthy, C. (2018, January 23). The crucial brain foods all children need. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/brain-food-children-nutrition-2018012313168
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