Recognizing Developmental Disabilities in Infants

Taking care of a new born involves extreme caution. You must be tender while handling him and alert for his needs. You need to understand the unspoken words and tend to his needs. Things become difficult when your baby needs medical attention. Often, if the symptoms are not physical, you can rely upon your baby’s unusual wailing.

However, it is important that you keep a closer watch. No parents want to imagine that their child is born anything but healthy. But still, you cannot rule out chances and be naïve. Developmental disabilities often bear no visible signs until a much later age, while early detection is crucial for treatment. So, keep a close watch on developmental benchmarks, advices an expert at a special school for disabled children. A slight disparity in normal norms of development may be a call for attention to a much serious issue. Here are some symptoms you should keep a watch at.

After Eight Weeks

If your baby does not begin to be active even after 8 weeks of birth, then note his further activities. 

• The usual babbling and warm expressions should start by now. 

• See if he actively kicks his legs, responds to tickles and touches.

• Do his eyelids seem to be drooping even when he is active and awake?

• In his pictures with the flash on, do you notice an unusual white spot in his eye beside the usual flash reflection or red eye?

• Anything unusual not common in babies of his age. You can obtain a specific chart of symptoms once you have an area of doubt from your paediatrician or a special school. 

After 3 Months

• All of the aforementioned benchmarks must be met by now

• The child must start looking towards bright colourful moving objects.

• You should be able to distract him through claps, snapping your fingers and audio visual toys.

About A Year

• Meaningful one words babbling like ‘mum’ should start.

• He should be able to recognize family members from strangers

• He should follow sounds.

• See if he is inclines his head at a certain angle to listen things.

• If he is not active enough

• If your baby watches faces intently

• Doesn’t respond to games like peek-a-boo or tickles.

• Warm smiles and laughs are missing.

If you find a disparity in the above symptoms, see a paediatrician. Your child might have some sort of developmental issue and needs medical help.