Birth Injury Answers

Milestone and warning-sign tracker

The short answer

Choose an age band and tick what your child does. Print it and take it to the appointment.

This is not a diagnosis. Children develop at different speeds, and one late skill on its own usually means nothing. What it does is turn "I am worried" into something specific a doctor can act on. 1

The numbers, up front

What the set is built on
The CDC "Learn the Signs. Act Early." checklists, revised in 2022 with the American Academy of Pediatrics 2
Why these skills
The revised set uses skills that 75 percent or more of children have reached by that age, so a missed milestone is designed to prompt action rather than watching 2
Corrected age
For a baby born early, judge these from the due date rather than the birth date for the first two years 3
You can act on this yourself
A child under 3 with a suspected delay is entitled to a free evaluation, and a parent can refer directly 4
Losing a skill
A child who has lost a skill they had needs prompt assessment, whatever their age 5

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Nothing you tick here is sent anywhere or saved. Print the page to keep it.

If your baby was born early, work out their corrected age first. A baby born three months early who is nine months old is six months corrected. 3

Choose an age

For a baby born early, use corrected age, counted from the due date.

What to do with a gap

Do not wait and see. The milestone set is built on skills that most children have reached by that age, specifically so a gap prompts action. 2

Refer your own child. A child under 3 with a suspected delay is entitled to a free evaluation and a parent can refer directly. No doctor referral, no diagnosis needed. 4 Use the early intervention finder.

Take the printed list to your pediatrician. Specific observations move things faster than a general worry.

Say the important sentence if it applies. "My child has lost a skill they used to have." That phrase changes the urgency, and it should. 5

Questions parents ask

My child misses one milestone. Should I worry?

One late skill on its own usually means nothing. What matters more is a pattern, a gap across several areas, or a skill that has been lost. Bring what you see to your pediatrician, and refer for a free evaluation if you are worried. 2 4

How do I work out corrected age?

Count from the due date rather than the birth date. A baby born three months early who is nine months old is six months corrected, and should be judged against the six month list. Use corrected age for the first two years. 3

Is this a diagnosis?

No. It is a structured way to describe what you are seeing, so that a doctor can act on it. Diagnosis needs a proper assessment. 1

Where these facts come from

  1. CDC. CDC Developmental Milestones, Learn the Signs. Act Early.. 2024. www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html. Link checked September 3, 2026.
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC, Pediatrics. Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools. 2022. publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/149/3/e2021052138. Link checked September 3, 2026.
  3. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Preterm Labor and Birth. 2025. www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm. Link checked September 3, 2026.
  4. U.S. Government Publishing Office, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 34 CFR Part 303, Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities. 2025. www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-30. Link checked September 3, 2026.
  5. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Cerebral Palsy. 2025. www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/cerebral-pals. Link checked September 3, 2026.