A disclaimer before you read on: this article is not about pressure, but just a guide to help mums know when to have your babies checked because of a delayed milestone.
I get a lil bit sceptical with giving my thought and or opinion for that matter to things pertaining milestones. Not all milestones since there are some that we cannot do much about like teeth and sometimes or most times weight, but milestones that can be hit, if we as parents decided to do something about it, like teaching baby how to sit on their own, stand etc.
When a mother says that their baby is 9 months and cannot sit my first instinct is to tell her to take her baby to hospital for a thorough check. However, I have noticed many mums always tell the fellow mum to relax babies hit milestones at different ages, which is honestly what I would want to hear if I was asking the question, but is often not the best thing.
I remember reading a question online and the mother was asking if there is a problem with her 2-year-old daughter because she only crawls and will not even support herself in a standing position and some mothers went ahead to tell her that it is a delayed developmental milestone and no pressure babies grow differently. While only a few mums told her that they baby might actually need medical attention. When she got to hospital, her baby indeed needed physiotherapy to help her walk.
At some point mums, we need to know that it is not babies grow at a different rate, it is maybe I need to have my baby checked. Know the different milestones and do not allow your baby to fall months behind. For example, at month 2 a baby should be able to respond to loud noises by looking in the direction it is coming from, if they are not by 3 months, find out if it could be an ear infection that is affection their hearing, they should also be able to turn their heads to follow you with their eyes, if they are not, have the doc confirm for you that it is a delayed development and not something that needs medical attention. At 18 months most babies should have taken their first steps, some are not well co-ordinated but they should be confident enough to take a step, if it’s 2 years and you baby can only crawl, seek professional counsel.
Most of us mums are more concerned about weight, which is one of the least determinants of growth because there are so many factors that affect the weight of a baby, if their bone development and brain (head) development is fine, then the weight can play catch-up.
Did you know that a smile is a milestone? Here are some pointers I found online, hope they can help
VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Each child develops at his own pace, but talk to your child’s doctor if your
3-month-old:
- Can’t support his head well
- Can’t grasp objects
- Can’t focus on moving objects
- Doesn’t smile
- Doesn’t react to loud sounds
4-7 months
- Seems very stiff or floppy
- Can’t hold her head steady
- Can’t sit on her own
- Doesn’t respond to noisesor smiles
- Isn’t affectionate with those closest to her
- Doesn’t reach for objects
8-12 months
- Doesn’t crawl
- Seems to drag one side while he’s crawling for a month or more
- Can’t stand with support
- Doesn’t try to find objects you’ve hidden in front of him
- Doesn’t say any words
- Doesn’t use gestures, such as shaking his head “no” and pointing
12-24 months
- Can’t walk
- Doesn’t understand the use of everyday objects
- Doesn’t speak at least six words by 18 months or two-word sentences by 24 months- The more you talk to your babies, the more words they learn (a lot of babies learn after going to school, but they should at least be able to say a couple of words before then)
- Doesn’t imitate words and actions
- Doesn’t follow simple instructions
- Loses skills he previously had
Please note that the months above are given in a range, which has put into account the developmental gap and serves to help parents know what to look out for and when to take a baby to the hospital.
Speech and language-tips to help your baby learn how to talk
Lets be safer than sorry when it comes to developmental milestones, I found this page online as well, very informative.
http://www.childmind.org/en/developmental-milestones/
Additional facts from