One important part of pediatric appointments with your child is the questions the doctor will ask about milestones. Milestones refer to new things your child is doing, and pediatricians, such as Ada Pediatrics PA, ask questions about these things to make sure your child is developing at the right pace. If your child is not reaching the correct milestones, it could be an early sign of a problem. Here are two things you should understand about milestones.

They are just averages

The first thing you should understand about milestones is they are based on averages. For example, when your child is nine months old, he or she should be crawling. The average nine-month old baby can do this, but you should realize this is not an absolute. There are babies that can crawl by six months, and there are others that do not crawl until they are 10 or 11 months old.

The milestones your pediatrician asks about can vary, but they serve as good guidelines when evaluating a child's progress. A pediatrician might not be concerned if your child has not reached one milestone out of 10, but he or she might be alarmed if your child has not reached any of the milestones he or she should have by this age.

As a parent, you might become extremely worried if you suspect a problem, but you should relax. Your child might simply be developing a little slower than average kids, and there might not be any problem at all.

There are specialists that can help you detect the problems

If your pediatrician is concerned over the way your child is developing, it is likely that he or she will refer you to a specialist. Pediatric specialists are trained to test children to determine if there truly is a problem. If there is, the specialist can help you find the right path to take to help your child catch.

Some of the major concerns pediatricians have when children are not developing at a proper pace include autism, Asperger's syndrome, and ADHD. There are also times when children do not develop fast enough because of a hearing problem, and in other cases it is simply because a child's brain did not develop as quickly as most.

If you have any concerns about the development of your child, talk to your pediatrician. Your doctor can help you determine if there is a problem that should be investigated. To learn more, make an appointment with a pediatrician today.

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