We provide a guide on set milestones a child should have attained by certain ages. It is worth noting that the cut offs are based on studies done in developed countries and in general, it is believed that African children achieve these milestones earlier. Some milestones are also dependant on exposure. For example, if at home you do not use cutleries to eat, it is unlikely that your child will know how to use knife and fork at the expected age of four years.
The various stages of growth and development vary within a couple of months. When assessing the growth and development of your child, there are particular areas you should follow up and assess:
You should consult a paediatrician if your child:
This is the placeholder for first year
When your child is lying on her back and you pull her with her hands, her head will fall back because she still does not have neck support. She should be able to fix at a face, follow an object with her eyes through a range of 90 degrees and startle to sudden noise. She should smile convincingly and should be crying and cooing.
He should have appropriate neck support. If he lies on his tummy, he should be able to raise his head and upper trunk. By now his hands are not always forming a fist and by 4 months, he should stop fisting. For a fleeting period during this time, he will discover he has hands and will look at them before using them (hand regard). He should now be playing with his hands and bringing them to the midline. He will hold a rattle placed on his hands. He can follow an object with his eyes through a range of 180 degrees. He now laughs and squeals and is aware that smile attracts attention. He makes noises on social contact and turns to sounds at the same level.
At this age, she should be trying to sit without support, albeit unsteadily. She is likely to be rolling, first from front to back and slightly later, from back to front. You should be able to demonstrate the downward parachute reflex with her; holding her on her sides, when you bring her down suddenly, she will raise her hands as if to clutch at something. She can now hold onto slender objects and shake rattles. She has a tendency to mouth objects she gets her hands on. She plays with her feet and holds her bottle when being fed. She produces unintelligible babble, says vowels and syllables and turns when her name is called. She is not shy!
He should now be able to sit steadily and will right himself when you try and push him on the sides. He can stand holding onto something if placed appropriately. He now exhibits forward parachute reflex; if you place him frontal body down, his hands reach out automatically for the approaching surface. He reaches out for small objects like raisins using a crude pincer grasp. He points with his index finger and understands "no" and "bye bye". His first word is "dada" to the mother's chagrin but this is because it is an easy word to say, he will start saying "mama" shortly after. He will have a 2 syllable babble.
She skips, catches balls and runs on her toes. She can walk along a narrow line. She can copy a triangle and draw a person with 6 body parts. She is able to put on clothes and can do big buttons. She asks "how" and "when" questions and makes grammatical speech.
He stands on one foot well and can hop. He walks up and down the stairs one foot per step. He can copy a cross and a square and draws a person with three parts. He is out of nappies by night and is able to undress. He brushes teeth and toilets alone. He is willing to share toys. He can count up to 10 and identifies more colours. He can use past tense.
Growth and development in baby's first year.
She is now pulling to stand and walks around furniture. She has started crawling but may as well be bottom shuffling. She now holds bricks and bangs them together and has a neat pincer grip. She will look for objects hidden from view. She waves "bye bye" and understands simple commands. She uses two words with meaning and recognizes objects by their use e.g. brushing of teeth - tooth brush.
He should now be walking with a wide based gait and arms raised above the waist to steady himself. He can build a tower of two bricks and make to and fro scribble with crayons. When he wants something, he will pull or point rather than cry. He may be able to use a cup and spoon. He speaks 2-6 words which have meaning and knows simple nouns like cup and names of siblings. He repeats words that he hears.
She can now walk steadily and can even carry things while walking or squat to pick something. She should now prefer to use a particular hand. She can make circular scribbles and can turn the pages of a book singly. She points to named body parts and feeds by herself. She demonstrates symbolic play e.g. pours tea and feeds doll. She can take off her shoes and socks and can indicate toilet needs. She follows one step commands and understands up to 50 words.
She can walk up the stairs, one foot per step and down, two feet per step. She jumps and can stand on one foot for a moment. She can ride a tricycle and throw balls. She tiptoes and can sit with legs crossed at ankles. She can use bricks to build a tower of 9, make a bridge and a train. She can copy a circle. She is out of nappies during the day and is trying to dress with supervision. She can narrate make-believe stories. She knows a couple of colours and can make 3-4 word sentences.
He can kick a ball. He can climb and go down the stairs holding onto something. He can build a tower of 6 bricks and copy a vertical line. He may be able to feed with a spoon and fork. He can start toilet training now. He often throws temper tantrums. He can follow two step commands and can join two words to make a short sentence.