Description

📏 1. Growth Assessment ✅ Parameters Measured: Weight Length/Height Head circumference (0–2 years) Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) (for nutrition screening) 📊 Growth Monitoring Tools: WHO growth charts (0–5 years) IAP/CDC growth charts (for older children/adolescents) Plot regularly and assess percentiles or Z-scores 🚩 Red Flags: Crossing ≥2 percentile lines Weight <3rd or >97th percentile Head circumference crossing percentiles (macro/microcephaly) 🧠 2. Developmental Domains Development occurs across 5 key domains. Assessment should match chronological or corrected age in preterm infants. Domain Examples Gross Motor Sitting, crawling, walking Fine Motor Grasping, transferring objects, drawing Language Babbling, saying words, following commands Cognitive Object permanence, problem-solving Social/Emotional Smiling, stranger anxiety, interactive play 📆 3. Key Developmental Milestones by Age Age Milestones 2 months Social smile, follows face, cooing 4 months Holds head steady, laughs, hands to midline 6 months Rolls over, sits with support, babbles 9 months Sits without support, pincer grasp, understands “no” 12 months Stands, first words, waves “bye” 18 months Walks well, 10–20 words, points to body parts 2 years Runs, 2-word phrases, scribbles 3 years Rides tricycle, 3-word sentences, knows name/age 4 years Hops, tells stories, draws a person with 3+ parts 5 years Skips, copies shapes, understands rules/games 🛠️ 4. Developmental Screening Tools Denver II (0–6 years) ASQ (Ages & Stages Questionnaire) M-CHAT (for autism screening at 18 & 24 months) Bayley Scales (used in high-risk follow-up clinics) 🚩 5. Red Flags in Development Refer if: No social smile by 2 months Not sitting by 9 months Not walking by 18 months No words by 16 months No 2-word phrases by 2 years Loss of previously acquired milestones 🧾 6. Management & Follow-Up Early referral to developmental pediatrician or early intervention services Encourage stimulation activities and caregiver interaction Track progress over time with structured follow-up