The Role of Pediatricians in Early Childhood Development

The Role of Pediatricians in Early Childhood Development

Your pediatrician plays a vital role in your child’s health, including your child’s development. Drs. Sanjay Saxena, Jean Kolb, and Anita Lee at Central Illinois Pediatric Associates in Bloomington, IL, provide a wide range of medical services for children, including developmental assessments and treatment of developmental delays.

What You Need To Know About Child Development

Child development can be complex. It’s often difficult for parents to differentiate between normal childhood development and developmental delays that require intervention. Regular visits with your pediatrician can help identify developmental issues early, so they can be treated.

According to the American Pediatric Association, your child should have developmental assessments at 9, 18, and 30 months, as part of a routine visit. Your child will also be screened for autism at 18 and 24 months, during a routine visit. You may also want to schedule a developmental assessment if you notice your child is:

• Not talking or began talking late
• Having problems remembering things
• Not able to roll over, sit up, crawl, or walk
• Having difficulty with fine motor skills
• Not understanding what others are saying
• Having difficulty problem-solving
• Having difficulty being social with other children

Our pediatrician may recommend a developmental assessment to identify developmental delays and whether your child is on track for achieving normal developmental milestones. During a developmental assessment, your pediatrician will:

• Perform a thorough review of your child’s illnesses, medications, hospitalizations, and other information
• Observe behaviors, mannerisms, cognitive abilities, emotional and physical delays, and other factors
• Provide questionnaires, checklists, and surveys to gather important developmental information
• Interview you and members of your household, your child’s teachers, and others close to your child

After the assessment, our pediatrician will discuss treatment options with you. Treatment options may include cognitive exercises, medications, physical therapy, counseling, and other treatments. To learn more about the American Pediatric Association guidelines for developmental assessment, please click here.

Want To Know More?

To find out more about the role of a pediatrician in early childhood development, talk with the experts. Call Dr. Saxena, Dr. Kolb, and Dr. Lee at Central Illinois Pediatric Associates in Bloomington, IL. You can reach them in the office by calling (309) 663-1011, so call today.