It is always exciting to learn about what’s coming next. In development, learning about areas of study such as milestones can help us get a good feel for what we can expect in terms of future behavior. For children, developmental milestones help organize and categorize behaviors so that those behaviors can be monitored and recorded for future reference. The most important part to remember about developmental milestones is that all individuals are different. Although there are common characteristics of child development, there are many variations to consider as well. Every child develops at their own rate, while the majority simultaneously hit a few typical benchmarks along the way. Here are some traditional milestones (from the American Academy of Pediatrics at healthychildren.org) to consider during the first month of your childu2019s life:
Movement Milestones:
- Makes jerky, quivering arm thrusts
- Brings hands within range of eyes and mouth
- Moves head from side to side while lying on stomach
- Head flops backward if unsupported
- Keeps hands in tight fists
- Strong reflex movements
- Visual and Hearing Milestones:
Focuses 8 to 12 inches (20.3 to 30.4 cm) away - Eyes wander and occasionally cross
- Prefers black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
- Prefers the human face to all other patterns
- Hearing is fully mature
- Recognizes some sounds
- May turn toward familiar sounds and voices
Smell and Touch Milestones:
- Prefers sweet smells
- Avoids bitter or acidic smells
- Recognizes the scent of his own mother’s breastmilk
- Prefers soft to coarse sensations
- Dislikes rough or abrupt handling
- Developmental Health Watch:
If, during the second, third, or fourth weeks of your babyu2019s life, she shows any of the following signs of developmental delay, notify your pediatrician. - Sucks poorly and feeds slowly
- Doesnu2019t blink when shown a bright light
- Doesnu2019t focus and follow a nearby object moving side to side
- Rarely moves arms and legs; seems stiff
u2022 Seems excessively loose in the limbs, or floppy - Lower jaw trembles constantly, even when not crying or excited
- Doesnu2019t respond to loud sounds
Source Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (2009 American Academy of Pediatrics)
How iCare Software Can Help
As you can see, there are quite a few behaviors to keep in mind. Thankfully, here at iCare Software, we have developed a child care software program that allows our on-site developmental specialist to personally assist parents, teachers, and care givers at all times with any developmental information they may need help with. With this child care software program, the developmental specialist will help provide scholarly information regarding child development for every age up to adolescence. If you are a teacher looking for some assistance with organizing and recording milestones, or maybe you are a parent simply looking to learn more about the development of your child, this child care software program is here to help. Our developmental specialist will provide tailored feedback and suggestions to help assist in the development process. These days, finding trustworthy, nonbiased information about your childu2019s development can be hard, but with this child care software program, it doesnu2019t have to be. Now you can rely on iCare Software to provide valid and reliable sources of information that will help with every aspect of child development.