The Basics: Development Milestones

Babies and children are constantly growing and developing. Their minds and bodies are hard at work to help them gain important skills such as crawling, walking, and talking. New skills and behaviors like these are called milestones. It is important to track your child’s developmental milestones for the first five years to help make sure they are developing well for their age. During these years, children’s brains and bodies develop quickly and build a foundation for how they will learn and grow in the future. Monitoring milestones can help parents identify developmental problems early on and work with their child’s healthcare providers to address any issues. Healthy development means that a child is reaching milestones in different areas, such as:

There are several tools parents can use to learn about and track milestones. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers short milestone checklists that parents can download and print or view on an app (see Helpful Resources below). You can share these checklists with your partner, family members, or other caregivers who can help you keep track. In addition to monitoring milestones, parents can promote healthy brain development in children (starting in pregnancy) by: 

 Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse if you notice that your child is not completing milestones or if you have any related concerns or questions. By speaking up, you can help make sure your child receives the proper screenings, tests, and services. Developmental screenings are usually completed at the doctor’s office when a child is 9 months, 18 months, 24 months, and 30 months old. However, the doctor or nurse might want to complete additional screenings if your child is not reaching milestones. Children with delays who receive help early on are better prepared to succeed in school and in other important areas of life. 

Developmental Milestones (CDC): This website includes detailed information about milestones children should reach from 2 months to 5 years old. It has checklists of milestones for different stages, videos of parents’ experiences tracking milestones, and a free app to help parents track children’s progress. You can print the checklists to share with others, including your child’s doctor or nurse. Developmental Monitoring and Screening (CDC): This website includes information about the screenings and evaluations that doctors and nurses can perform and the ages when your child should be screened.   The information in this article is intended to be used for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult a doctor or other healthcare professional when making decisions about your health.