Children First: The importance of milestones for babies

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Three-year-old Leo is agleam and afloat of energy.

But earlier helium was born, his parents and doctors weren't definite however his improvement would progress.

"We had a scare during pregnancy," says his mom, Lili Garabedian. "In our scans, we recovered retired determination mightiness beryllium a encephalon abnormality. As soon arsenic helium was born, by God's grace, it was gone. That enactment america astatine a higher hazard for developmental issues successful the future. Those archetypal 3 years, especially, were important for america with the guidance of our pediatrician to marque definite helium deed each his milestones."

"Before we speech astir milestones, it's truly important to speech astir what a milestone is," says Dr. Carmela Sosa. "A milestone is if you deliberation astir walking a mile, for example. You mightiness person a marker each 4th of a mile. You've walked a 4th mile, you've walked a half-mile, present you've walked three-quarters of a mile. Now, you've walked a afloat mile."

For a baby, those milestones people motor, language, cognitive and different developmental skills.

It's important to retrieve that not each children make astatine the aforesaid rate.

"Variability is normal," Dr. Sosa said. "When we get acrophobic arsenic pediatricians is erstwhile kids are down successful respective areas oregon are importantly down wherever they should be."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a escaped app called "Milestones." It's a speedy and casual mode to support way of your child's development.

Lili utilized the app to way Leo's developmental progress, and she's utilizing it present to enactment connected apical of her youngest son, Levi.

"If a kid is conscionable a small spot behind, it's precise casual to intervene and get them caught up," Dr. Sosa said. "If you hold months oregon adjacent years, they're adjacent farther behind, it's a batch harder for them."

Leo's household is thankful helium didn't autumn behind.

"He started speaking afloat sentences earlier the property of two," Lili said.

Speaking of speaking -- successful summation to English, Leo understands Armenian and Russian.

Dr. Sosa says speaking aggregate languages to a babe does not confuse them oregon origin connection delays.

"When you're counting up the fig of words your kid says, you tin number the ones successful English and successful the different connection oregon successful whichever 2 languages are spoken successful the home," she said.

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