Child Development, Preventative Care, And The Well-Visit
Posted on: 1 July 2022
Do you have questions about your young child's development and major milestones? Take a look at what parents need to know about preventative care, the pediatrician's role, child development, and doctor's office or healthcare clinic well-visit check-ups.
What Types of Questions Can You Ask About Your Child's Development?
There are no real limits to questions parents can ask the pediatrician about development and milestones. Most doctors expect parents to have concerns or other issues that they want to learn more about during the child's well-visit. This means the pediatrician is ready, willing, and able to discuss where your child is right now and how that compares to expected development/milestones.
Some parents may want information on what to expect in the upcoming weeks, months, or years, while others may want to address a missed or delayed milestone. The well-visit provides the perfect opportunity for you to talk openly with the doctor about your child's progress and get honest answers to any type of developmental question you have right now.
The specific questions you ask during a clinic or office well-visit depend on what you want to learn more about and potential concerns you have about your child's development. These can include questions about your child's overall growth and skill acquisition or a specific area. Specific developmental areas (also known as domains) range from social and emotional skills to cognitive and physical abilities.
How Will the Pediatrician Evaluate the Child's Development?
The doctor can review general developmental expectations and the windows for specific milestones. But the visit will include more than just a question and answer session. The pediatrician will also examine your child and, depending on their age, ask them a few questions. They may also want additional information from you about your child's behavior or actions at home, at daycare, or in other situations.
What Will the Pediatrician Look For?
The answer to this question depends on your child's age and the expected milestones for their stage of development. As your child passes the one-year mark, the pediatrician will ask you (or your child) about language development. They will want to know how many words your child can say, whether your child understands words that you speak to them, and if they can put the words into sentences.
Language isn't the only area the doctor will want to learn more about. They will also look at your child's fine motor (hand and finger) skills, gross motor skills (large muscle abilities, such as walking), memory, problem-solving, attention/focus, emotional expression, and social skills.
For more information about child development, contact a health care clinic in your area.
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