As a parent, you eagerly await each new skill and milestone your little one reaches. From the first smile to the first step to the first word, these moments are exciting markers of growth and development. We all remember the joy and excitement we experienced when they first rolled over, started crawling, started walking, and so forth!
But did you know that these milestones are about more than just cuteness for the baby book? They actually offer a crucial window into your child’s neurological health and well-being.
According to the CDC, 1 in 6 children in the US has a developmental delay or disability. This means that for many parents, the joy of watching their child grow is loaded with concern and uncertainty. Are they on track? Are there signs of a problem? What can be done to help them thrive?
We understand these fears and want to empower you with knowledge and understanding that goes far beyond what you’ll get in the standard pediatricians office or on the CDC’s website. We believe that developmental milestones are not just a checklist to be ticked off, but a valuable tool for assessing and supporting your child’s neurological development, and knowing when certain interventions and care options need to be put in place.
Additionally, one of the most important and never talked about components of neurodevelopment that is essential for parents to understand is how important the order or sequence with which your child develops is. There will be kids who based upon some birth trauma and who are bigger in size will naturally and normally develop at a bit of a slower pace, meaning while they may technically be “delayed” in a certain milestone or two, as long as they are moving along in the right sequence and order their brain and nervous system development is on track.
Whether your child is right on track or facing challenges, this information is for you. Our goal is to help every child reach their full potential, and for every parent to feel confident and supported along the way. So, let’s get started on this journey of understanding and nurturing your child’s most precious asset: their developing brain and nervous system.
Understanding Developmental Milestones
Developmental milestones are key skills and abilities that mark a child’s growth and progress over time. These baby milestones span several primary areas of development:
- Motor: How a child uses their body and manipulates objects, including both gross motor (large muscle movements like crawling and walking) and fine motor (precise movements like grasping a crayon) skills
- Language: How a child communicates and understands verbal and nonverbal cues
- Social-emotional: How a child interacts with others, regulates emotions, and develops a sense of self and empathy
- Cognitive: How a child thinks, learns, and solves problems
Tracking milestones in each of these domains offers a comprehensive picture of a child’s overall development. While every child grows and learns at their own unique pace, milestones provide a general roadmap of what to expect at various ages. They help parents and healthcare providers identify when a child may be progressing typically or exhibiting signs of potential delay.
Why Pediatric Milestones Matter
Monitoring childhood developmental milestones is about more than just checking off items on a list. Each milestone represents the integration and maturation of complex neurological processes. When an infant reaches for a toy, or a toddler takes their first wobbly steps, it reflects the hard work of countless neurons communicating and coordinating with each other and forming new pathways that will pave the way for years and decades to come.
Milestones provide valuable insights into the development of the brain and nervous system. Research indicates that delays or unusual patterns in motor skills can serve as early warning signs of developmental challenges or imbalances. By recognizing these red flags early, parents and caregivers can take action with targeted support and therapies during the crucial early childhood years when the brain is most receptive to new experiences.
It’s important to remember that some variation in milestone timing is normal and not necessarily cause for concern. Children may reach certain milestones earlier or later than average due to a variety of factors like genetics, temperament, and environmental influences.
However, a consistent pattern of delay or an abrupt loss of previously acquired skills should always be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
We view developmental milestones as vital indicators not just of what a child can do, but how their nervous system is functioning as a whole. By proactively monitoring pediatric milestones and seeking prompt care when needed, parents can lay the foundation for their child’s optimal motor, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral well-being. In the next section, we’ll explore the neurological underpinnings of child development in more depth and discuss how certain factors can disrupt this delicate process.
Neurological Foundations of Development
Have you ever marveled at the incredible growth and change a child undergoes in their first few years of life? From a helpless newborn to a curious, communicative toddler, the transformation is nothing short of remarkable. But what powers this rapid development? The answer lies in the intricate workings of the young brain and nervous system.
A Critical Period of Brain Growth
The first three years of life represent a critical period of brain development. Research indicates that during this period, the brain forms one million new neural connections every second, responding to the child’s experiences and environment. These connections are like a growing tree, with branches that are pruned or strengthened based on which ones are used most often. This process of neural plasticity allows the brain to adapt and learn at an astonishing rate.
However, this plasticity also means that the developing brain is highly sensitive to both positive and negative influences. Nurturing experiences like responsive caregiving and stimulating play help build strong, healthy neural pathways. On the other hand, adverse experiences like chronic stress or lack of appropriate stimulation can lead to weaker connections and potential developmental delays.
The Role of the Autonomic + Central Nervous System
Another key player in a baby’s development is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS regulates essential functions like breathing, heart rate, digestion, and sleep-wake cycles. It also plays a crucial role in emotional regulation, stress response, and overall resilience.
The ANS has two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system, which activates the “fight or flight” response, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes “rest, regulate, and digest” functions. In a healthy nervous system, these two branches work in balance, allowing the child to respond adaptively to challenges and then return to a state of calm.
However, factors like birth trauma, stress, and subluxation can disrupt this delicate balance, leading to a state of dysautonomia. When the ANS is stuck in a sympathetic-dominant mode, it can interfere with a child’s ability to self-regulate, learn, and reach developmental milestones.
Additionally, the Central Nervous System works in full coordination and connection with the ANS, helping your child to learn to speak, move, and control other basic body functions like digestion, breathing, sensation, and so much more. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system, along with a huge network of sensorimotor and other neurons.
Incredibly, the CNS doubles in size in the first year. It keeps growing to about 80% of adult size by age 3, and 90% (nearly full grown) by age 5.
While the conventional medical system puts a majority of emphasis on genetics and “good luck” essentially when it comes to health and development in kids, and the holistic or integrative system speaks more to the gut and microbiome – the truth is the health, function, and development of the ANS and CNS have more to do with health and well-being than any other system by far.
Since the nervous system controls and modulates every other system and function of the body, nothing is more important than nervous system function, regulation, and development.
The “Perfect Storm”: Factors Contributing to Neurological Dysfunction and Developmental Delays
As we’ve seen, a child’s neurological development is a delicate dance of nature and nurture, shaped by both intrinsic factors like genetics and external influences like experiences and environment. But what happens when these influences are less than optimal?
In some cases, a combination of stressors can converge early and often in life to create what we at PX Docs call The “Perfect Storm“—a cascade of events that can overwhelm a child’s developing nervous system and contribute to developmental delays, neurological dysfunction, and something called dysautonomia.
Prenatal Stress and Maternal Health
The foundation for a child’s neurological health begins well before birth. During pregnancy, the developing fetus is highly attuned to the mother’s physical and emotional state. Maternal stress, whether from life events, environmental toxins, or health conditions, can alter fetal brain development through the actions of stress hormones like cortisol.
Studies have shown that high levels of prenatal stress are associated with changes in infant brain connectivity, along with an increased risk for later neurodevelopmental conditions. Supporting maternal well-being through prenatal care, stress reduction, and healthy lifestyle choices is crucial for giving babies the best start.
Birth Interventions and Trauma
The process of birth itself can also set the stage for neurological challenges. Interventions like c-sections, forceps or vacuum extraction, and induction drugs can cause significant compression and torsion on a baby’s delicate brainstem, spine, and nervous system. This physical stress can lead to subluxation, or misalignments in the neural pathways that disrupt communication between the brain and body and throw both the ANS and CNS off track.
Even in vaginal deliveries, factors like prolonged labor, abnormal positioning, or cord compression can increase the risk of birth trauma and subsequent neurological imbalances.
These neurological imbalances and interference in brain to body communication is known as subluxation. Subluxation and neurological dysfunction is far more common in infants than most parents or providers know, and is far more detrimental to overall health and neurodevelopment than may have been previously known as well.
Early Childhood Exposure to Toxins, Antibiotics, and Other Chemicals
The stressors that contribute to The “Perfect Storm” don’t end at birth. A child’s rapidly developing nervous system remains vulnerable to a range of physical, chemical, and emotional insults in the first years of life. These may include:
- Chronic illnesses like ear infections or digestive issues
- Poor nutrition or food intolerances
- Environmental toxins and pollution
- Family stress, conflict, or instability
- Inadequate nurturing and attachment
- Sensory overload from screens and stimulating toys
- The overuse of antibiotics and other medications
When a child’s nervous system is bombarded by these stressors within the Perfect Storm, it can get stuck in a state of sympathetic dominance or “fight or flight” mode. Over time, this chronic stress response can impair the brain’s ability to learn, regulate emotions, and reach the baby’s developmental milestones.
Subluxation and Developmental Delays
Subluxation and nervous system dysregulation are entirely overlooked and “hidden in plain sight” potential disruptors of healthy development. Subluxation, dysregulation, and nervous system dysfunction interfere with a whole host of delicate functions that are essential for optimal development – gross and fine motor, sensorimotor, digestive and immune system function, sensory processing, speech, social, emotional, and so much more.
For example, subluxation in the upper cervical region can impact the function of the cranial nerves, which control aspects of sucking, swallowing, head control, and facial expression. Subluxation throughout the neurospinal system, especially the transitional regions, may lead to gross motor delays and affect crawling and walking.
By identifying and addressing subluxation and nervous system dysfunction early, pediatric chiropractors can help restore optimal nervous system function and give children the best chance of reaching their developmental potential.
Navigating the Storm
Reading about The “Perfect Storm” may feel overwhelming, but knowledge is power! By understanding the factors that can influence a child’s neurological development, parents can take proactive steps to minimize risks, build resilience, and get their child back on track developmentally by making sure they have access to essential interventions like Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care!
Making sure your child’s development is fully optimized and on track may require going beyond just the conventional pediatrician’s office check up and review of your child’s height and weight, and instead involve things such as:
- Seeking supportive prenatal and perinatal care to reduce maternal stress and optimize birth outcomes
- Choosing a pediatric provider who is knowledgeable about neurodevelopment and proactive in monitoring milestones
- Prioritizing healthy nutrition, safe environments, and nurturing relationships in early childhood
- Addressing signs of subluxation or nervous system imbalances through gentle, pediatric and nervous system focused chiropractic care
Remember, no child’s path is predetermined by their early experiences. With the right support and interventions, many children can weather the “Perfect Storm” and emerge stronger on the other side!
In the next section, we’ll explore how tracking developmental milestones can help you stay attuned to your child’s unique needs and progress.
Key Milestones By Age
As you’ve learned, child developmental milestones are a vital tool for tracking your child’s growth and identifying potential areas of concern. While every child develops at their own unique pace, here are some key milestones to watch for in each age range:
0-6 months
- Cognitive: Watches faces, follows objects, starts to reach and grasp
- Motor: Holds head up, rolls over, sits with support
- Language: Coos and gurgles, babbles, responds to sounds
- Social-emotional: Social smile, enjoys play like peek-a-boo, shows curiosity
6-12 months
- Cognitive: Looks for hidden objects, bangs two items together
- Motor: Crawls, pulls to stand, takes first steps
- Language: Says “mama”/”dada,” understands “no,” makes gestures like waving
- Social-emotional: Plays peek-a-boo, shows stranger anxiety, prefers familiar people
1-2 years
- Cognitive: Sorts shapes and colors, finds hidden objects, follows 1-step instructions
- Motor: Walks alone, scribbles, starts to run, climbs furniture
- Language: Says several words, points to named objects, follows simple directions
- Social-emotional: Parallel play, imitates others, shows defiant behavior
2-3 years
- Cognitive: Plays make-believe, works toys with buttons/levers/moving parts, does puzzles
- Motor: Climbs well, runs easily, walks up/down stairs, throws a ball overhand
- Language: 2-3 word phrases, identifies body parts, names familiar things
- Social-emotional: Temper tantrums, fears common, desire for independence
3-5 years
- Cognitive: Knows colors and numbers, understands time concepts, recalls parts of stories
- Motor: Hops and stands on one foot, kicks a ball, draws a person with 2-4 body parts
- Language: Speaks clearly, tells stories, knows first/last name and gender
- Social-emotional: Cooperates with others, negotiates solutions to conflicts, shares and takes turns
Remember, these milestones offer a general guide, not a rigid checklist, for your child’s development. It’s normal to experience some variation in the timing and sequence of skill acquisition. The most important thing is to nurture your child’s unique unfolding with love, patience, and appropriate stimulation.
When to Be Concerned About Child Development
While some developmental differences are to be expected, certain signs may indicate your child is experiencing delays that require further evaluation and support. Red flags to watch for include:
- No babbling or gesturing by 12 months
- Not saying single words by 16 months or 2-word phrases by 24 months
- No response to name by 12 months
- Loss of language or social skills at any age
- Not walking by 18 months or walking only on toes
- Floppiness or stiffness and very limited movement
- Frequent falling and difficulty with stairs
- Persistent drooling or very unclear speech
- No back-and-forth gestures like waving, responding to peek-a-boo, or pointing by 12 months
If you notice any of these signs, or if something about your child’s development “just doesn’t feel right,” trust your gut. You are your child’s best advocate and know them better than anyone.
Earlier is always better when it comes to identifying and addressing developmental delays. The sooner a child receives targeted support and interventions, the better their chances of overcoming challenges and reaching their full potential.
Identify the Root Causes of your Child’s Challenges
Perfect for parents of children with neurological challenges and frustrated by the lack of answers. Get your natural, drug-free approach to help your child’s nervous system relax, unwind, and get back on track developmentally. This quick and action-oriented webinar is made for you!
Sequence Matters Most
One important aspect of optimal brain and overall health development not talked about enough is how essential it is for a child to develop in the proper order or sequence. While most of the attention around development is always put on delayed or missed milestones, the brain and nervous system are designed to work just like “project management” or building a home – where there is a very important, specific sequence and order to the process.
Simply put, gross motor and sensorimotor function really lead the way for overall brain development. From there gut health, respiratory and immune function, and endocrine function obviously become essential – but the motor and sensory systems really drive development foundationally.
You can get a good visual image of this developmental “hierarchy” with the sketched out image below from a Perfect Storm Webinar presentation we provided through the PX Docs Platform.
One thing that developmental specialists, neurologists, and other types of specialists working with Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, Epilepsy, and other “brain-based” type patients always seem to forget is how essential sensory, motor, gut, and immune function are foundationally to overall brain health and development.
We routinely find that even for our grade school, teen, and young adult patients struggling with brain-based neurological disorders, they never actually developed optimally and fully as a younger child, and their motor tone, coordination, posture, and so forth are still way off track and the actual root cause of their challenges.
In order to get these patients better and back on track, and all patients really, we must first address the foundation of nervous system development and overall function with this specialized form of chiropractic care. This pyramid or hierarchy visually helps parents and even other providers understand why certain interventions may not have had much positive impact if they were applied without the foundation being fixed, healed, and fully repaired first.
Why Early Intervention Matters
The first years of life are an incredibly rapid period of brain growth and plasticity. The neural pathways and connections that form during this time lay the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health. This is why early identification of developmental delays is so critical.
When issues are caught early, targeted interventions can help reshape a child’s neurological wiring while it is still malleable. This might involve:
- Specific therapies to build lagging skills, like speech, motor control, or emotional regulation
- Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care to promote optimal nervous system function, regulation, and balance
- Nutritional and lifestyle changes to reduce inflammation, restore gut health, and support healthy brain function
- Modifications to the child’s environment and interactions to better match their sensory needs
The longer a delay goes unaddressed, the more difficult it becomes to change entrenched patterns of dysfunction. A child who struggles to crawl and walk, for example, may miss out on important opportunities to explore their environment, leading to secondary delays in cognitive and social skills. Research indicates that early intervention alters a child’s neural circuits and enhances their developmental outcomes.
Of course, it’s never too late to make a difference in a child’s life. The brain remains plastic throughout the lifespan, and meaningful progress can be made at any age. But the earlier we start, the more profound and lasting the impact can be. As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—and nowhere is this more true than in the world of pediatric development.
The Role of Pediatric Chiropractic in Promoting Healthy Development
We believe that chiropractic care plays a vital role in nurturing healthy pediatric development, and since it is still not a “mainstream” recommendation, it’s the essential foundation or building block that many kids and families are missing out on without even knowing it.
Our PX Doctors are specially trained to assess and support the intricate connections between a child’s brainstem, spine, nervous system, and overall growth and well-being. Our doctors are trained to detect subtle alterations in movement, motor tone and coordination, sensory processing, and other important but not-so-obvious signs that conventional pediatricians are sure to miss, and early intervention specialists often do as well.
Regular Nervous System Focused Chiropractic Care can help:
- Promote neurological integrity and resilience
- Support balanced brain development and plasticity
- Enhance sensory processing and integration
- Optimize postural control and motor skills
- Improve sleep, digestion, and immune function
- Foster emotional regulation and social engagement
- Increase overall adaptability to life’s stressors
We’ve seen firsthand the incredible transformations that can occur when a child’s nervous system is functioning at its best. From the infant who goes from struggling to feed and sleep to thriving and meeting milestones, to the child with developmental delays who gains confidence and skills they never thought possible—the power of pediatric chiropractic to change lives is truly remarkable.
To see hundreds of incredible stories of transformation, please visit this powerful section of our website!
Your Child’s Best Chance to Thrive
As a parent, you want nothing more than to see your child grow, learn, and thrive. By understanding the intricacies of developmental milestones—and the factors that can influence them—you are already taking a powerful step in supporting your child’s optimal unfolding.
Remember, milestones are not a race or a competition. They are a way to celebrate your child’s unique progress and identify areas where they may need extra support. Trust your instincts, advocate for your child’s needs, and surround yourself with knowledgeable providers who share your vision of optimal development and nervous system function, done in a drug-free, empowering, natural way!
If you’re curious about how chiropractic care might support your child’s unique developmental journey, we encourage you to visit our directory and find a PX Doc near you. Our doctors are passionate about partnering with parents to help children of all ages and abilities reach their full potential.
Together, we can create a world where every child has the opportunity to reach their highest potential—one milestone at a time!