Understanding the stages of a child's motor and neurological development is crucial for parents to know how to interact with their child and monitor their movements consistently. This helps prevent potential developmental issues and ensures rapid intervention if needed.
A child's skills begin developing from the very first month up until the age of 5. Parents must continuously monitor this progress and ensure regular, scheduled visits to Well-Child Clinics. Over 12 scheduled visits, the child's growth and development are tracked by measuring weight, length/height, and head circumference (comparing them to normal percentiles), alongside evaluating motor and personal-social developmental milestones.
Key Fact: At birth, a baby's brain weighs about a quarter of an adult's brain. The brain is not fully developed or mature at birth and grows rapidly during the first few years of life.
Dimensions of Child Development
Child development refers to the gradual acquisition of various skills starting from birth within an expected timeframe appropriate for their age. These skills include:
- Cognitive Development: The child's ability to solve problems. For example, a 3-month-old baby bringing a toy to their mouth, or a 5-year-old solving a simple math exercise.
- Social and Emotional Development: The child's interaction with those around them. For example, a 6-week-old baby smiling, or a 10-month-old waving "bye-bye."
- Speech and Language Development: Understanding and using language. For example, a 1-year-old saying a few words, or a 2-year-old knowing what the word "eye" means.
- Fine Motor Skill Development: Using small muscles, particularly the hands and fingers, to pick up small objects and eventually use a pen.
- Gross Motor Skill Development: Using large muscles to gain the ability to sit, walk, and eventually jump.
Note: Every child develops at their own unique pace. While general milestones exist, slight variations between children are completely normal.
Warning Signs of Developmental Delay
| Age | Warning Signs |
| 2nd Month | * Cannot lift their head while lying on the stomach.
* Cannot roll their body slightly when lying on the back.
* Has not started smiling at the mother. |
| 3rd Month | * Does not interact with someone playing with them.
* Does not turn toward sound or light.
* Cannot lift or control their head properly. |
| 4th Month | * Does not put objects in their mouth.
* Inability to control head movement. |
| 5th & 6th Month | * Cannot move or change positions while sleeping.
* Cannot flex or bend their neck.
* Cannot sit up, even with the support of pillows or cushions.
* Does not roll over on the bed. |
| 7th to 9th Month | * Cannot control or stabilize their head.
* Cannot maintain a sitting position.
* Has not started crawling or creeping. |
| After 1st Year | * Cannot walk yet, even with assistance.
* Cannot speak any words or repeat short words. |
| At 1.5 Years | * Cannot walk without assistance.
* Inability to feed themselves with a spoon. |
| After 2nd Year | * Falls frequently.
* Walks with an unsteady balance.
* Unable to pick up small objects.
* Cannot speak intelligible phrases, even when repeating after someone. |
| At 3 Years | * Cannot climb up or down stairs, even with assistance.
* Speech is still unclear or unintelligible.
* Does not play with peers/friends. |
Routine Screenings for Children
In 1426 AH, the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia adopted the National Newborn Screening Program to Limit Disability. It aims to screen all newborns in the Kingdom for the early detection of 17 types of serious genetic disorders that cause disabilities, categorized into:
- Metabolic Disorders: Affecting how the body utilizes food.
- Endocrine Disorders: Affecting levels of essential hormones.
How and When?
- Blood Sample: Drawn between 24 to 72 hours after birth and before the baby leaves the hospital.
- Hearing Screening: Conducted immediately after birth.
- Congenital Heart Disease Screening: Conducted immediately after birth.
General Well-Child Clinic Evaluations:
- General Examination: Checking the child's overall condition and vital organ efficiency (heart, lungs, nervous and motor systems).
- Vision Screening: Early detection of eye diseases like strabismus (crossed eyes), cataracts, and refractive errors (e.g., nearsightedness).
- Hearing Screening: Early detection of hearing loss or other auditory disorders.
- Developmental Tracking: Measuring cognitive, social-emotional, language, fine motor, and gross motor milestones customized to each specific visit age.
- If any signs of delay or developmental disorders are detected, the doctor provides initial care and refers the child to specialists.
Essential Screenings by Age Group
At 2 Months & 4 Months:
- Anthropometric measurements (Height, weight, and head circumference)
- Developmental milestones tracking
- Vision screening
- Hearing screening
- General physical examination
At 6 Months:
- Anthropometric measurements (Height, weight, and head circumference)
- Developmental milestones tracking
- Vision screening
- Hearing screening
- Oral and dental examination
- General physical examination
At 9 Months:
- Anthropometric measurements (Height, weight, and head circumference)
- Developmental milestones tracking
- Vision screening
- Hearing screening
- Oral and dental examination
- Developmental disorders screening
- General physical examination
At 12 Months (1 Year):
- Anthropometric measurements (Height, weight, and head circumference)
- Developmental milestones tracking
- Vision screening
- Hearing screening
- Oral and dental examination
- Hemoglobin test (for iron deficiency anemia detection)
- General physical examination
At 18 Months & 24 Months (2 Years):
- Anthropometric measurements (Height, weight, and head circumference)
- Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation
- Developmental milestones tracking
- Vision screening
- Hearing screening
- Oral and dental examination
- Developmental disorders screening
- Early autism screening
- General physical examination
At 3 Years, 4 Years, & 5 Years:
- Anthropometric measurements (Height and weight)
- Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation
- Developmental milestones tracking
- Blood pressure measurement
- Vision screening
- Hearing screening
- Oral and dental examination
- General physical examination
For more information:
See the Child Growth Guide.