WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS?
When a child is behind in skills than other kids his age is called Developmental Delays. Minor differences should not be the cause of concern. Every kid grows according to his or her timeframe. But if your child constantly falls back in every skill that is when you should contact a paediatrician.
Developmental delays are caused by a short-lived issue, such as speech delay could be the reason for hearing loss from an ear infection.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Signs and symptoms could be an early signal of attention of developmental delay.
Motor skill development delay:
Signs
- When the baby is unable to roll over by five months
- Difficulty in reaching out to grab objects by three to five months.
- Inability to use gestures
- Difficulty in imitating actions
Symptoms
- Myopathy – a disease of muscles
- Exposure to a toxin in the environment i.e., lead.
- Medical complications before birth
Language and speech delay
Signs
- Does not respond.
- Do not babble to loud voices by three to four months.
Symptoms
- Learning disability
- Hearing loss
CAUSES:
- parental health and their behaviors
- smoking or drinking during pregnancy
- premature birth
- complications during pregnancy
- Medical conditions like vision problems, hearing impairment, etc.
- Environmental conditions: malnutrition etc.
- Genetic factors
Developmental delays can also be caused by other medical conditions, such as:
- Fatal Alcoholic Spectrum Disorders
- Myopathies
- Genetic syndrome – down syndrome, fragile X syndrome
- Landau Kleffner Syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Autism spectrum disorder
Developmental delay is concerned with:
- Language development
- Cognitive development
- Physical development
- Social and emotional skills
- Social-emotional development.
TREATMENTS
- Developmental screening
- Seek help from an occupational therapist, pediatric neurologist, phycologist, speech therapist.
- Medication can also be prescribed by the doctor after examining your child.
Helpful key points
- Nurturing environment
- A good parent-child bond
- Allow them to make decisions
- Good nutrition diet
- Encourage them to accept responsibility
- Avoid hitting or anger
- Read to them to help with their vocabulary
- Adequate sleep
- Provide opportunities for exercise (playtime, sports, etc.)
- Limit screen time
- Teach your kids about setting boundaries with their bodies and consent.
- Check with a physician or school about the services that might be available in your area.