Infant Skipping Developmental Milestones as a Birth Disorder Symptom
As a parent, you want to see your child progress unhindered and reach developmental milestones without obstacles. What do you do as a parent if you have an infant who’s missing developmental milestones? Children who have debilitating illnesses like cerebral palsy will sometimes experience expected growth at a much slower rate. Usually, milestones begin at six weeks and continue until the child reaches seven years old. But, you can learn more about milestones by speaking with your pediatrician.
The milestones include:
- Rolling over
- Crawling
- Walking
- Saying a few words
- Potty training
Your pediatrician will emphasize these milestones because they have become the most common in tracking a child’s development. If you have a baby that is skipping developmental milestones, it could be due to a learning disability or neurological issue. This has sometimes been linked to cerebral palsy resulting from a birth injury.
Why Does CP Cause the Skipping of Milestones?
If the brain gets damaged, it can impact development, which can result in a birth disorder. Cognitive disabilities cause children to act differently, and they will develop abnormally from other children. This can be for a variety of reasons. For example, with cerebral palsy, your child may struggle to sit or walk. Their movements will be uncontrolled and jerky because their brain is sending conflicting messages to their muscles. Also, these brain neurons’ misfiring can sometimes cause an electrical response that results in learning disabilities. If your child was born with cerebral palsy, you understand how immense the financial burden can be. Discuss your options for financial support to determine if you’re eligible.
Do Doctors Consider Growth Problems a Developmental Issue?
It depends on the doctor. While some doctors consider growth problems to be the same as an infant missing developmental milestones, others won’t consider it this way. However, some doctors do consider it the same because a child may have trouble with swallowing or eating because of a disability. Many times, growth problems will have a direct correlation with regular disabilities. As a result, your child may skip some of the quintessential milestones.
What Can Cause Your Child to Miss Milestones?
There are a few health conditions that can arise and cause your child to miss milestones. Many times, anoxia, a medical condition defined as the total absence of oxygen, will cause a child to miss milestones. Some of the other conditions that cause missed milestones can include:
- Brain hemorrhage
- Hypoxia
- Brain ischemia
If your child seems to have missed some crucial milestones, you shouldn’t worry right away. Children will often develop at their own pace. You can’t rush the process. However, if your child seems to be developing at a much slower pace than the milestones indicate, you should seek the help of a pediatrician. With the help of a pediatrician, you can make sure that your child is on track. If they’re not on track, you can then get a treatment plan to help them.