How to Measure Infant Development
Parents can measure infant development in a variety of ways. They can use basic growth charts, psychological charts, standard measurements, milestones and even comparison charts of when the parent or siblings were infants. Measuring an infant's development is one way to identify potential problems. It is also how parents can keep track of fond milestones, from the first word to the first step.
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Instructions
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Use growth charts (see Resources). Your pediatrician will use a growth chart on every baby visit to measure infant development on a physical scale. He will ask you questions about how the baby is doing, but he'll take body measurements and let you know what percentile the baby is in.
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Use psychological charts. Developmental psychology studies the development of people from infancy to toddlerhood to childhood to adulthood to aging. There are specific psychological tests that examine motor skills and cognitive skills that can measure infant development.
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Use basic measurements. Parents can easily measure their infant's height by using a tape measure to get the length from the crown of the head to the tip of the foot. Just lay the infant down on some paper, use a pen to mark the top of the head and the bottom of the foot. Then measure the distance between the two marks. You can measure weight by weighing yourself on the scale and then weighing yourself holding the baby.
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Use milestones. Basic milestones are another way to measure infant development. Some developmental milestones are when the baby holds up her head, the baby tracks movement with her eyes or the baby rolls over for the first time. These are all specific cognitive and physical developments that can measure an infant's progress.
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Consult a physician. If you have any questions or concerns about how your infant is doing, don't hesitate to contact your physician about their development and your expectations. Remember that average development as reported in many areas is based on a wide range of infants.
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