CDC Updates Kids’ Developmental Milestones For First Time In Decades
As soon as you have kids, you start turning to experts for answers to all the questions that come up, like when should the baby start sleeping in their own room, or how old they should be when you turn their car seat forward-facing. And now according to The Bump, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have announced new updates to developmental milestones for kids and babies that haven’t changed in nearly two decades.
The updates relate to the “Learn the Signs. Act Early” program and it’s the first change since the guidelines were announced back in 2005. The goal is to make it easier for parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers to catch potential developmental delays or autism sooner. As part of the changes, the CDC and AAP have raised the percentage of kids who normally meet milestones at that age from 50% to 75%. The updates show behaviors that at least 75% of kids will hit at a certain age, “based on data, developmental resources and clinician experience.”
Milestone updates include:
- Adding checklists for ages 15 and 30 months so there’s now a checklist for all well-child visits from 2 months to 5 years
- New social and emotional milestones
- Cutting vague language as well as duplicates for certain milestones
- Adding open-ended questions to help promote discussion between parents and doctors
- Updating and adding new tips as well as activities that encourage development
“The earlier a child is identified with a developmental delay the better, as treatment as well as learning interventions can begin,” explains pediatrician Dr. Paul H. Lipkin, one of the 13 experts who worked on the revisions.
Source: The Bump
