Infant developmental stages aren’t the same for all kids. While some may reach developmental milestones earlier, other kids may take more time.

The time it takes for a kid to reach major development milestones depends on genetic factors, pregnancy complications, or even environmental setting.

When a child takes significantly more time to reach developmental milestones than other kids their age, the condition is usually referred to as developmental delay. It’s usually a scary experience for parents who mistake the condition to mean lower intelligence in their kids.

What is Developmental Delay?

Developmental delay is a minor or major delay in the development stages of a child. It refers to a condition that causes a child to fall behind their mates in performing developmental actions expected of them. There are many forms of developmental delay. Popular ones include language, cognitive skills, play, and social skills.

Noticing any form of developmental delay in a child can be depressing for parents. It shouldn’t be, however, detecting the condition early can help in managing or even curing a child of developmental delay.

Symptoms of Developmental Delays

The symptoms of developmental delay vary and may not be the same for all sufferers of this condition. The condition also shows up at different times; while some can be noticed during the infancy stage, some take a little longer to notice.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of developmental delays.

1. Communication Difficulty

Communication starts from infancy and gradually develops with the baby. Children should be able to communicate in brief sentences by the time they are three.

If this isn’t the case, and they’re unable to communicate with their parents in face to face, it could be a sign of developmental delay.

2. Cognitive Delays

This symptom of developmental delay takes a bit more time to notice but is usually more obvious than most other symptoms. It refers to a condition where a child takes much more time to acquire, manipulate, and analyze new information.

While this is usually characterized by poor performances in schoolwork, particularly reasoning-based tasks, poor performance isn’t always of developmental delay. It’s important to see a medical professional confirm the condition before jumping to conclusions.

How to Cure Developmental Delays

There is no known cure for the defect now, but there are therapies that can be used to minimize the negative effects, enabling affected kids to live a normal life like their peers.

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