If your child is exhibiting any of the behaviors below, you should consult your Pediatrician for a complete evaluation.
By 1 month:
- Sucks poorly and feeds slowly.
- Doesn’t blink when shown a bright light.
- Doesn’t focus and follow a nearby object moving side to side.
- Rarely moves arms and legs: seems stiff.
- Seems excessively loose in limbs or floppy.
- Lower jaw trembles.
- Doesn’t respond to loud sounds.
By 3 months:
- Doesn’t notice her hands by 2 months.
- Doesn’t smile at the sound of your voice by 2 months.
- Doesn’t follow moving objects with her eyes by 2-3 months.
- Doesn’t grasp and hold objects by 3 months.
- Doesn’t smile at people by 3 months.
- Cannot support head well at 3 months.
- Unable to lift head or push up on arms.
- Stiff legs.
- Pushing back with head.
- Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions.
- Crosses her eyes most of the time. (Occasional crossing of the eyes is normal in these first months.)
- Doesn’t pay attention to new faces, or seems very frightened by new faces and surroundings.
- Constantly fisted hand and stiff leg on one side.
- Difficult to move out of this position
By 4 months:
- Doesn’t reach for and grasp toys.
- Doesn’t babble.
- Doesn’t bring objects to mouth.
- Babbles, but doesn’t try to imitate any of your sounds.
- Doesn’t push down with legs when feet are placed on a firm surface.
- Does not turn his head to locate sounds.
By 5 months:
- Doesn’t roll over in either direction (front to back or back to front).
- Seems impossible to quiet at night.
- Doesn’t smile spontaneously.
By 7 months:
- Seems very stiff with tight muscles.
- Seems very floppy like a rag doll.
- Head still flops back when body is pulled up to a sitting position.
- Reaches with one hand only.
- Refuses to cuddle.
- Shows no affection for the person who cares for him.
- Doesn’t seem to enjoy being around people.
- One or both eyes consistently turn in or out.
- Persistent tearing, eye drainage or sensitivity to light.
- Does not respond to sounds around him.
- Has difficulty getting objects to his mouth.
- Rounded back.
- Cannot sit with help.
- Does not laugh or make squealing sounds.
- Arms held back
- Does not actively reach for objects.
- Doesn’t follow objects with both eyes.
- Does not bear some weight on legs.
- Does not try to attract attention through actions.
By 8 months:
- Poor head control.
- Shows no interest in games of peekaboo.
- Difficult to get arms forward.
- Arches back and has stiff legs and pointed toes.
- Poor use of arms for play.
- Poor ability to lift head and back.
By 12 months:
- Does not crawl.
- Cannot stand when supported.
- Uses only one side of body to move.
- Does not search for objects that are hidden while he watches.
- Says no single words (“mama” or “dada”).
- Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head.
- Does not point to objects or pictures.
By 15 months:
- Walks on toes on one side of body.
- Holds arm stiffly and bent.
- Excessive tiptoeing when walking.
- Sits with weight to one side.
- Uses predominantly one hand for play.
- One leg may be stiff.
- Does not seem to know the function of common household objects (brush, telephone, bell, fork, and spoon).
By 18 months:
- Cannot walk.
- Does not speak at least 15 words.
By 2 years:
- Fails to develop a mature heel-toe walking pattern after several months of walking, or walks exclusively on his toes.
- Does not use two-word sentences.
- Does not imitate actions or words.
- Does not follow simple instructions.
- Cannot push a wheeled toy.
By 3 years:
- Frequent falling and difficulty with stairs.
- Persistent drooling or very unclear speech.
- Inability to build a tower of more than four blocks.
- Difficulty manipulating small objects.
- Inability to copy a circle.
- Inability to communicate in short phrases.
- No involvement in “pretend” play.
- Failure to understand simple instructions.
- Little interest in other children.
- Extreme difficulty separating from mother