Early Childhood Development

Speech, language and literacy

How your child communicates changes over time.

• Use these communication milestones to check on how well your child's speech and language skills are developing.
• Use these communication tips for ideas to help your baby, toddler, and preschooler develop speech and language skills.

Infant hearing

Hearing is an important part of your child’s development.

If you have concerns about your child’s hearing or speech and language milestones, talk with your family physician and consider a referral to Early Expressions, the local Preschool Speech and Language program. A hearing test will be requested as part of intake to Early Expressions, to rule out any hearing concerns.

Resources:

• Infant Hearing Program - Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
  
• Newborn Screening Ontario

Vision

Healthy vision is important from an early age. Regular eye exams can identify conditions that may be treated if found early. An eye exam is recommended at 6 months and 3 years of age, then every 12 to 24 months.  A regular eye exam with an eye doctor (optometrist) is free for children and youth up to 19 years of age with a valid OHIP card.

Learn more about healthy vision including tips for eye health, vision development, what to look for, and how to get help if you have concerns.

Physical literacy

Just as children learn language skills through reading and writing, they also need to learn movement skills – like running, jumping and throwing - through playing and trying new things. Giving your child plenty of chances to move their body each day will help them develop physical literacy: the confidence, motivation and ability to be physically active for life. Start early by providing your baby with tummy-time several times each day.

Later on, reaching and grasping, rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking will help your baby to develop motor skills and build strength and coordination. The older your child gets, the more energetic play they need, such as hopping, jumping, skipping, and bike riding.

Learn more about the benefits of physical activity and the recommendations for active play at all ages.

Dental

Healthy baby teeth allow your child to chew food properly. Most children have some of their baby teeth until they are at least 12 years of age. Baby teeth maintain the space for adult teeth to come into the mouth in the right position. Take your child for their first visit to the dentist by their first birthday so that any problems are found early. Visit the dentist regularly.

Learn more about caring for your child's teeth.

Nutrition

At around 6 months of age, your baby will begin to show signs of being ready for solid foods. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my baby about 6 months old (or older)?
• Can they hold their head steady without any support?
• Can they sit up in a highchair and lean forward without any support?
• Can they open their mouth wide if offered food?
• Can they turn their head away when they are full?
• Can they pick up food and try to put it in their mouth?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, your baby is ready for solid foods. If you answered no to one or more, your baby is not ready for solid foods. Talk to your health care provider if your baby is not ready for solid foods, but you think they should be.

Learn more about introducing solid foods to your baby including what foods to offer, the feeding relationship, and food allergies.”

Want to know if your child is eating well?

Complete Nutri-eSTEP to learn what is going well with your child's eating and activity habits, and what could be improved.

Mental health - also known as social or emotional health

• form close and secure relationships,
• feel, work through, and express a full range of emotions, and
• explore their environment and learn.

Factors that can impact your child’s social and emotional development include:

• Attachment

  • Develops as you respond to your child when they are sick, hurt, upset, sad, scared, or lonely.

  • Secure attachment is when your child knows they can depend on you for their needs. 

• Temperament

  • The aspects of your child’s personality or set of traits they are born with, for example, being calm, irritable, or difficult.

• Parenting practices

  • Positive parenting happens when there is a balance of love, healthy expectations, structure, and routine.

• Positive relationships

  • A relationship that includes seeing and experiencing love and respect.

• Stress

  • Comes from both the good and bad that happens to us. There are three types of stress: positive stress, tolerable stress and toxic stress.

• Resilience

  • Is how we deal with life through positive thinking.

• Play

  • Is your child’s job. Play helps your child to understand emotions. 

Learn more about how to support your child’s social and emotional development. Including helping your child identify and work through emotions.

Brain development

In the early years, the brain goes through a period of rapid development.

There are lots of factors that can influence your baby’s brain development including:

• relationships,
• experiences, and
• environment.

Your role as a parent is to:

• provide lots of warmth and attention
• respond to your baby, and 
• talk, sing, touch, and play with your baby.

With every interaction you are helping your baby’s brain develop.

Learn more about brain development from prenatal to early years. 

18-Month Enhanced Well-Baby Visit

Your child will receive routine well-baby visits from their health care provider starting at 2 months of age. The visits usually coincide with their immunizations. Well-baby visits include a physical examination and a discussion with your health care provider regarding the health and development of your child.

What happens in the first 18 months of life can affect the course of lifelong health, learning, and behaviour. The age of 18 months is an important milestone for your child. The enhanced 18-month well-baby visit is an opportunity for you to discuss your child’s development with your health care provider during a longer, in-depth visit.

Experts have identified the following as key areas for healthy child development:

• Physical health
• Safety
• Social and emotional development
• Motor and language skills
• Parenting and healthy habits

You can prepare for the visit by using the 18-Month Well-Baby Visit Planner. This easy 5- to 10-minute guide helps you identify and prioritize questions to ask your health care provider.

Milestones - Looksee Checklist

The LookseeChecklist is a free tool you can use to track your child’s development from 1 month to 6 years of age. The checklist provides activities that you can do with your child to continue to support their development.

The Looksee Checklist covers these areas of development:

• Emotional
• Fine motor
• Gross motor
• Social
• Self help
• Communication
• Learning and thinking
• Vision and hearing

You can sign up with the LookseeChecklist to receive reminders to complete at various age ranges.

Head shape

Putting babies on their backs to sleep is important to lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), but some babies develop flat areas on their heads.

When your baby is able to turn over on their tummy (around 4 months of age), you don’t need to move them onto their back again.

Why does head flattening happen?

Some babies:

• Like to turn their heads to the same side when sleeping, or sitting in a car seat or swing
• Keep their heads to one side because of a neck muscle problem
• Have a softer skull
• Do not turn their heads from side to side very much when sleeping or in a seat
• Are born with flat areas on their heads from their position in the womb

What does head flattening look like?

Plagiocephaly

This is when your baby has a flat area on the side of the head. They may also have:

• Changes to one side of the face
• One ear that sticks out

Brachycelphaly

This is when your baby has a flat area across the back of the head. They may also have:

• A widened face
• Increased height at the back of the head
• Ears sticking out on both sides

Baby head shapes

Brachycelphaly	Plagiocephaly	Normal head

If your baby’s head has a flat area:

• Keep your baby off the flat area as much as possible. This will help your baby’s head return to a rounder shape.
• Encourage neck movement toward the non-flat side.
• Place your baby in the crib so that they turn their head away from the flat area when looking toward the door.
• Provide lots of supervised tummy and side-lying time.
• Carry your baby close to your body, in your arms or a cloth carrier, instead of a stroller or car seat.
• Use your voice or bright toys to encourage your baby to turn away from flat side while playing, feeding or watching you.
• Place toys or mobiles outside the crib to encourage your baby to turn away from their flat side.
• Give supervised time in an Exersaucer® once your baby has good head control.
• Carry your baby on your hip so they must turn away from their flat side to look ahead.

Avoid:

• Long periods in baby seats, car seats, and swings.
• Putting pressure on the flat area of your baby’s head when feeding, holding, or carrying.

Tell your health care provider:

• if your baby has a flattened area on their head,
• if your baby holds their head to one side,
• if your baby has trouble turning their head, or
• if your baby’s head doesn’t get better.

Can head flattening cause problems?

• Usually, having a flat spot will not affect a baby’s brain growth or development.
• Having a deformed head may affect a baby’s appearance, and later on, their self-image.

For more information visit Sick Kids’ website.