How to Diagnose a Developmental Delay in Young Children

Watch for signs and check with your pediatrician to catch developmental delays early.

Every parent has a child with the anticipation of a healthy, happy baby. In the majority of cases this is exactly what happens. However, sometimes something goes wrong. Developmental delays can be caused from birth trauma, genetic disorders and a lack of attention and social enrichment. When these delays show, parents must step up their efforts to properly diagnose and intervene early to prevent substantial damage later on.

Things You'll Need

• PKU test kit

Instructions

1. Get your child tested with a PKU kit at the hospital shortly after birth and re-tested a week later at his pediatrician's office. The PKU test checks for 30 different genetic disorders that can lead to developmental delays if overlooked.

2. Get your child's hearing tested either at the hospital or your pediatrician's office. Hearing loss is the most common cause of developmental delays and affects four children in every 1,000.

3. Observe your child as they develop and make note of any struggles with milestones. For example, if your child has not begun rolling over at 6 months old, there may be a problem.

4. Attend each and every well-child visit with your pediatrician. These visits serve two purposes. The first is to give the doctor a chance to check the child's physical growth. The second is for the doctor to verify the child's development. During each visit the pediatrician will ask specific questions as to what your child can and cannot do, and if they sense a problem, they will request more tests.

References

• Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare: Identifying Patterns Of Developmental Delays Can Help Diagnose Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Childhood Affirmations: Diagnosing Developmental Delays
• CICC Discovery Tool
• March Of Dimes: Newborn Screening