Milestones: When to Ask Your Doctor

As parents we are always asking ourselves if our children are growing and developing properly. But instead of telling you all the fun milestones they will be doing, I want to give you a resource for when to speak with your pediatrician.

Speak to your doctor if your child:

2 months milestones: 

• Doesn’t respond to loud sounds.
• Doesn’t watch things as they move.
• Doesn’t bring hands to their mouths. 
• Can’t hold their head up when pushing up on their tummy.

4 months milestones:

• Doesn’t smile at people
• Can’t hold head steady.
• Doesn’t coo or make sounds.
• Doesn’t push down when feet are placed on a hard surface.
• Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions.

6 months milestones:

• Doesn’t reach for objects that are in reach.
• Shows no affection for caregivers.
• Doesn’t respond to sounds around him.
• Doesn’t roll in either direction.
• Doesn’t laugh or squeal.
• Seems stiff with tight muscles.
• Seems floppy like a rag doll.
• Doesn’t make vowel sounds (“ah”, “eh”, “oh”)

9 months milestones:

• Doesn’t bear weight on legs with support.
• Doesn’t sit with help
• Doesn’t babble (“mama”, “baba”, “dada”).
• Doesn’t respond to own name.
• Doesn’t recognize familiar people.
• Doesn’t look where you point.
• Doesn’t transfer toys between hands. 

12 months milestones:

• Doesn’t crawl.
• Can’t stand when supported.
• Doesn’t search for things you hide.
• Doesn’t say single words like “mama” or “dada”.
• Doesn’t use gestures like waving or shaking head.
• Doesn’t point to things.
• Loses skills he once had. 

18 months milestones:

• Doesn’t point to show things to others.
• Can’t walk.
• Doesn’t copy others.
• Doesn’t gain new words.
• Doesn’t have at least 6 words.
• Doesn’t notice when a caregiver leaves or returns.
• Loses skills he once had. 

2 years milestones:

• Doesn’t use 2-word phrases.
• Doesn’t know what common things are for, like a brush, phone, fork, spoon.
• Doesn’t copy actions and words. 
• Doesn’t follow simple instructions. 
• Doesn’t walk steady. 
• Loses skills they once had. 

3 years milestones:

• Falls down a lot or has trouble with stairs.
• Drools or has very unclear speech. 
• Can’t work simple toys (peg boards, simple puzzles, turning handle).
• Doesn’t speak sentences.
• Doesn’t understand simple instructions.
• Doesn’t play pretend or make believe.
• Doesn’t want to play with other children or with toys.
• Doesn’t make eye contact.
• Loses skills they once had. 

4 years milestones:

• Can’t jump in place
• Has trouble scribbling.
• Shows no interest in interactive games or make- believe.
• Ignores other children or doesn’t respond to people outside the family.
• Resists dressing, sleeping, and using the toilet.
• Can’t retell a favorite story.
• Doesn’t understand “same” and “different”.
• Doesn’t use “me” and “you” correctly.
• Speaks unclearly.
• Loses skills they once had.

5 years milestones:

• Doesn’t show wide range of emotions.
• Shows extreme behaviors (unusually fearful, aggressive, shy, or sad).
• Unusually withdrawn.
• Is easily distracted, cannot focus on one activity for more than 5 minutes.
• Doesn’t respond to people.
• Can’t tell the difference between what’s real and make-believe.
• Can’t give first and last name.
• Doesn’t draw pictures.
• Can’t brush teeth, wash and dry hands, or get undressed without help.
• Loses skills they once had. 

These are simply guidelines on when to talk to your doctor. Even if your child is doing some of them it is not necessarily a sign of a problem.

CDC Developmental Milestones Link

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