It's amazing to see children sit, crawl, rollover, walk, learn to speak, and achieve different growth spurts in life. These are milestones that every child must achieve and is an important part of their growing process.
Some children may achieve these milestones earlier. For instance, one baby might start taking its first steps at just eight months. Whereas some babies take a bit longer, achieving the same milestone at 11 months.
While that may seem long, it's actually quite common and no two children are the same.
The focus for each parent should be that their child needs to meet all the developmental milestones from time to time. And when that does not happen, you need to be a bit concerned.
Of course, we aren't trying to scare you but make you aware. When a child does not reach one or a few of these milestones in a specified time period, it's termed as Global Developmental Delay. It's a condition where a child takes longer to reach certain developmental milestones than other children.
So how exactly does global development delay impact your child's well-being what are the signs you should watch out for?
What Is Global Developmental Delay?
More commonly termed as 'developmental delay,' this occurs when the child may learn to walk, talk, movement skills, as well as interact socially and emotionally later than other children of the same age.
For instance, a child starts walking independently between nine and 15 months. The little one will start sitting up around six months, pulling themselves to stand at around 10 months, and slowly start cruising by holding on to the furniture around. By the 15th month, the child is able to their first independent steps.
However, in some cases children may not be able to walk even after 16 months, which is when you should be consulting a doctor.
Signs Of Global Developmental Delay In Children
There could be signs at birth that could hint at the baby developing a problem.
Preterm babies are at a higher risk, or if the baby did not get enough oxygen. A childhood illness or a physical accident in early months could also contribute to development delays.
Here are some of the global development delay signs that parents should look out for:
- Floppy trunk and limbs
- Stiff arms and legs
- Inability to sit without support by the age of nine months
- Limited movement in arms and legs
- Higher involuntary reflexes over voluntary movements
- Inability to stand up by up to the age of 12 months
The child can also exhibit speech and language delay. Most children start recognising sounds and language by six months of age. A toddler between 12 and 15 months should be able to say at least two to three words, which is the babbling period.
By the age of 18 months, most children can say a few words and can speak brief sentences by the age of three years.
However, some children may have speech and language delays when affected by developmental delays.
A child with speech delay may not be able to say as many words as other children of their age. With language delay, the child can find it difficult to comprehend what other people are saying. At the same time, they are unable to express themselves.
If you think your child isn't able to comprehend things, you should consult a specialist.
Consult a doctor if your child:
- will not imitate sounds by the age of four months
- does not respond to loud sounds by one year
- does not babble
Causes Of Global Developmental Delay
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that about 17 per cent children between the ages of three and 17 years have one or more developmental disabilities.
Some of the causes of GDD can include injury or labour complications, while it could genetic in origin as well.
More importantly, global development delay could be a sign of underlying medical issues including:
- Cerebral palsy
- Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)
- Landau Kleffner syndrome
- Myopathies, including muscular dystrophies
- Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
What Can Parents Do?
If doctors suspect that your child is lacking the scheduled progress, they will ask you a series of questions and will also carry out medical tests to determine the cause.
Based on the results of the test, the doctor may refer the little one to specialists like psychologists, speech and language therapists or occupational therapists.
Some children may just require additional support to let them catch up with other children.
In some cases such as speech and language delays, a therapist will play a major role in bringing the child up to speed.
In some cases, you may have to prepare yourself for special education needs and will need to speak to the school about creating an individualised plan with the form teacher to ease their learning process in school.
At the end of it all, you will have the same supportive and nurturing parents to your children despite GDD and that will go a long way in helping the kids overcome any delays.
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