Understanding Child Development
Monitoring your child’s growth and developmental milestones is one of the most important aspects of paediatric care. While all children develop at their own pace, certain milestones serve as important indicators of healthy development. At Dashvanth Healthcare Delhi, our paediatricians provide comprehensive growth and development monitoring.
Physical Growth Monitoring
Weight
- Newborn: Average 2.5–3.5 kg. Loses up to 10% in first week, regains by 2 weeks
- Doubles birth weight: by 5 months
- Triples birth weight: by 1 year
- 4x birth weight: by 2 years
Length/Height
- Birth: Average 50 cm
- Increases 25 cm in first year
- 12 cm in second year
- Adult height: roughly double height at 2 years
Head Circumference
- Birth: 33–35 cm. Increases rapidly in first year (brain growth)
- Anterior fontanelle closes: 12–18 months
Developmental Milestones
2 Months
- Social smile
- Tracks object with eyes
- Coos and makes sounds
4 Months
- Holds head steady
- Laughs and giggles
- Reaches for objects
6 Months
- Sits with support
- Rolls over
- Babbles
- Transfers objects between hands
9 Months
- Sits independently
- Crawls
- Pulls to stand
- Says “mama” and “dada”
12 Months
- Walks with support
- First words (1–3 words)
- Pincer grasp developed
18 Months
- Walks independently
- Vocabulary: 10–20 words
- Points to body parts
2 Years
- Runs
- 2-word phrases
- Vocabulary: 50+ words
When to Be Concerned (Red Flags)
- No social smile by 3 months
- No babbling by 12 months
- No single words by 16 months
- No two-word phrases by 24 months
- Loss of previously acquired skills at any age
Regular child development monitoring at Dashvanth Healthcare Delhi: 011-41670042
