Children's Milestones
Babies and young children grow and learn so quickly during their first few years. They are acquiring skills and knowledge that will lay the foundation for higher cognitive functions into adulthood. Children's developmental milestones are a general guide of the approximate times when certain abilities can be observed since every child grows and develops at his or her own pace. Your child may meet one milestone ahead of the time that is indicated, and another later on. Milestones are flexible; there is no strict timetable for acquiring abilities, and there is a wide range of what is considered normal development.
Premature babies generally reach developmental milestones later than full-term babies. For example, a baby who was born 1 month prematurely will likely be about a month behind a full-term infant and most premature babies catch up with their peers' development by about 24 months of age.
When your child visits a public health nurse for schedules immunizations, a developmental check is conducted. This is an important way of monitoring children's early development. For information on childhood immunizations, visit the Population and Public Health website. If you are concerned about your child's development, or if your child loses skills or abilities he or she has already developed, make an appointment with your child's doctor or a public health nurse to assess your child's development. When developmental delays or disorders are identified early on, interventions are often more effective because children have had less time to get "off track".
Click here to view Milestones for:
External HealthLine Links:
Healthline Online is provided as a public service by Saskatchewan
Health. HealthLine service has a substantial amount of information available
on pregnancy, child development and parenting topics.
Click on the HealthLine logo, then type "growth and development" into the search box to find more information about:
- Newborns
- Babies (1 month - 12 months)
- Toddlers (12- 24 months)
- Young children (2 - 5 years)
- Older children (6 to 10 years)
