In today’s episode, we are talking about normal child development. We will talk about why this is important and how you will be evaluating children’s development. We will go over major milestones in the 4 developmental domains: movement/physical development – or gross and fine motor, language/communication, cognitive, and social/emotional. We will go over some common cases. Finally, we will briefly discuss what you should do if you suspect developmental delay. Why it is important to learn about developmental delay.

1. Why it is important to learn about development
2. Developmental surveillance versus developmental screening versus diagnosis of developmental issues
3. Developmental domains/categories:
   1. Expressive language
   2. Receptive language
   3. Gross motor: this is how you use all of your big muscles 
   4. Fine motor: hand/eye coordination 
   5. Social/emotional: how children interact with others and show emotion. 
   6. Language/Communication: how children express their needs and share what they are thinking, as well as understand what is said to them. Hearing is important for language/communication development.
   7. Cognitive:  how children learn new things and solve problems
   8. Movement/Physical Development:  how children use their bodies. 
4. Learning milestones
   1. Learn the schedule for well child visits
   2. Watch children at different ages to see what they can do. 
5. Gross motor milestones: 1 year goal is to be able to walk independently.
6. Fine motor milestones: 1 year goal is to be able to put food into one’s mouth
7. Language and communication milestones: 1 year goal is to be able to say a few words
8. Social and emotional milestones: 1 year goal is to recognize that people are individuals that they can interact withOK, so those are some of the major milestones. Now, let’s go through a few common case scenarios that have some specific teaching points. 
9. Cases
10. What if there is developmental delay

Resources/Links:

• CDC’s Developmental Milestones: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
• Ages and Stages developmental screening tool: https://agesandstages.com/products-pricing/asq3/
• Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT): https://www.mchatscreen.com/

Links:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html

About the Speaker:

Host: Rachel Moon, MD – Rachel Moon, MD is the Harrison Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at UVA Health Children's. She is an internationally recognized researcher in sudden unexpected infant death and chairs the AAP Task Force on SIDS. She is also the Chief of General Pediatrics at UVA.

Clerkship Ready: Pediatrics is a podcast aimed at medical students doing their clinical clerkship in Pediatrics. The views expressed are the speakers' own and do not constitute medical advice.