Routinely monitoring your child’s growth and development is very important. It involves regularly measuring the weight, height and/or head circumference of children as they grow.The information gathered is plotted on a growth chart to make abnormal growth visible. Where growth is abnormal, our clinical team works with the family to investigate the cause and come up with suitable solutions. Ultimately, appropriate investigations are carried out and a serious condition is diagnosed earlier.

Developmental assessment is the process of looking at a child’s performance compared with children of a similar age. Skills such as smiling for the first time, waving “bye bye” and taking a first step are called developmental milestones. How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child’s development. At Pendleton, we encourage parents to bring their children for these assessments with our paediatricians at the following times: 6 weeks, 14 weeks, 6 months, 9months, 12months, 18 months, 24months and annually thereafter.

Use this time to discuss your child’s milestones, social behaviors and learning. Make a list of topics you want to talk about such as development, behavior, sleep, eating or getting along with other family members. Bring your top three to five questions or concerns with you to discuss with the paediatrician at the start of the visit.