It is not enough simply to monitor a child's physical height and growth. It also involves knowing what kind of person they are becoming. We must recognize a child's feelings, thoughts, and relationships (or connections) to other people and to the world, both now and in the future. To help parents and caregivers monitor their child's healthy and balanced development at his/her own pace, we use what we call supportive developmental milestones (e.g., development of fine/gross motor skills, cognitive skills, and social/emotional skills) to assess the child's development. Child Development Oversight, or monitoring a child's development throughout his/her entire life, is important for maintaining the child's health and well-being.

Understanding Child Development Oversight

• Tracking a child's physical growth includes height and weight. Tracking growth also includes understanding a child's emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral development.
• Tracking a child's growth through infancy, childhood, and adolescence focuses on careful observation, without the pressure of labeling.
• Each child's rate of physical and mental development is unique; tracking development regularly will allow parents to gain insight into age-appropriate development.
• With the support of Child Development Oversight, children can face difficulties with support while being recognized for their achievements.

Physical Growth: More Than Height and Weight

• Child growth monitoring includes measuring the child's height and weight, head circumference, and proportions.
• It also measures gross motor skills (i.e., crawling, walking, and running).
• Fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, muscle strength, and posture are important indicators.
• In addition, early monitoring of child growth may assist in identifying nutritional deficiencies, growth disorders, or delays in motor development.

Mental Development: How Children Think and Learn

• Mental development can be defined as how memory, focus, language, and reasoning skills develop over time through the influence of environmental factors, genetics, and maturation.
• Some of the key indicators of mental development include:

1.  Curiosity
2.  Asking questions
3.  Interest in learning or playing with toys.

• Evidence of language development at age-appropriate levels and following directions are also essential indicators.
• If we utilize tracking of Developmental Milestones, it would be possible to identify Cognitive Skill Developmental Delays (CSDDs) earlier on.

Emotional Growth: Building Confidence and Resilience

• A child’s emotional development shapes their ability to handle and express their emotions, manage stress, and establish relationships.
• Three key indicators of this emotional development are a child’s ability to express emotion, the closeness of the parent/child relationship, and the child’s ability to empathize.
• Emotional maturity is demonstrated by a child’s ability to manage their frustrations as they grow older.
• A child’s ongoing development can assist caregivers in identifying potential emotional and/or behavioral difficulties at an earlier stage.

Pediatric Care: A Trusted Partner in Growth

• Pediatric Care is about more than just treating illnesses; it helps children grow and develop.
• Regular Visits Monitor Children and Assess Growth and Development.
• Pediatricians Assist Parents with Nutrition, Sleep, Behavior, and Emotional Well-being.
• Having a Good Partnership with Your Pediatrician Provides Ongoing Support.