Revised Developmental Milestones for Infants and Toddlers

From smiles to steps, those eagerly awaited “firsts” mean more than entries in a baby book. For parents, it means a step toward a child’s independence. For pediatricians, they mark important stages in a child’s development. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently updated timelines for these “firsts” in infants and toddlers.

Learn the Signs. Act Early.

The CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” campaign highlights age-related timelines (developmental milestones) that help track when and how a child plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves. Developmental milestones are things most children are able do by a certain age. Noticing when your child reaches these milestones helps to look for developmental delays.

The Pandemic’s Impact on Child Development

The timing of these updates made people question if wearing masks or isolating from others made an impact on child development. It’s important to note these changes were in the works for some time and were completely unrelated to the pandemic. Early data suggests masking will not have an impact. Studies show that children are adaptable and pick up other emotional cues. And, in most cases, home caregivers were not masked, allowing the child to read their facial cues as usual.

Updates by Age

Past guidelines were based on the actions of 50% of children in an age group. The revised guidelines reflect what 75% of children in that age group do, making it easier to identify children who are truly falling behind. Other updates include additional social and emotional milestones, new checklists for ages 15 and 30 months, and removing unclear language. Parents can access a checklist for every well-child visit from 2 months to 5 years by visiting the “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” website or downloading the free app.

How to Support Your Child’s Development

There are many ways you can support your child’s early development. Kids learn best when they can explore their environment and interact with others. Some things you can do at home include:

• Read to your child
• Talk to them throughout the day
• Narrate what you are doing while feeding them or changing diapers
• Limit screen time
• Sing to them
• Set them on the floor on a blanket to help develop motor skills (with supervision)
• Allow the child to move freely (with supervision)

Share Any Concerns with Your Child’s Health Care Provider

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, talk to your pediatrician. Even if you don’t have a well child visit coming up, it’s okay to schedule a visit to talk about concerns.

Each child develops and grows at their own pace. By recording these milestones, you’ll not only have a treasured record of your child’s “firsts,” but you’ll also be on track to discuss concerns with your child’s health care provider.

Ohio residents can request a screening through Help Me Grow. Help Me Grow can facilitate developmental screening for children under age 3.