Warning to families from an expert: If your child cannot walk by 18 months, pay attention!

Üsküdar University NPİstanbul Hospital Pediatric Neurologist Prof. Dr. Dilara Füsun İçağasıoğlu issued notable warnings regarding the development of newborns.

In the statement released by the hospital, İçağasıoğlu noted that, unlike adults, children are in a constant state of growth and development, and that a child's growth and development milestones during this process must be age-appropriate.

Advising parents who are concerned about any delay or stagnation in these milestones to consult a pediatrician, İçağasıoğlu stated, "Your doctor may refer your child to pediatric neurology following their examination and tests."

İçağasıoğlu explained that growth refers to an increase in body size and volume, while development refers to the functional acquisition of growing tissues, and provided the following information:

"Children are in a process of growth and development that begins in the womb and continues until puberty. A deterioration in their health at any stage of this process can slow down or even stop growth and development. If a baby is still not walking by the 18th month, a pediatric neurologist must be consulted."

HEIGHT, WEIGHT, HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE, AND GROWTH RATES ARE IMPORTANT

Emphasizing that height, weight, head circumference, and growth rates are important in monitoring growth, İçağasıoğlu noted that these measurements should be taken and tracked regularly by a doctor.

İçağasıoğlu assessed, "Growth rate can vary in every child and at different age periods. However, abnormal values detected in these measurements can be an indicator of growth retardation or growth stagnation. During these check-ups, the child's neurological examination should also be performed, and neurological development milestones should be evaluated."

Explaining that neurological development is defined as the progress of a baby's cognitive features such as communication, memory, attention, focus, and language development with the development of the central nervous system, as well as the simultaneous progress of physical skills such as holding their head up, sitting, and walking, İçağasıoğlu stated, "The neurological development of healthy babies is not a process structured solely by genes. In addition to genetic structure, gender, nutrition, hormones, the environment lived in, and illnesses experienced are also influential."

News Source: AA