Global developmental delay is an umbrella term used when children are significantly delayed in their cognitive and physical development. It can be diagnosed when a child is delayed in one or more milestones, categorised into motor skills, speech, cognitive skills, and social and emotional development. There is usually a specific condition which causes this delay, such as Fragile X syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities. However, it is sometimes difficult to identify this underlying condition.Other terms associated with this condition are failure to thrive (which focuses on lack of weight gain and physical development), intellectual disability (which focuses on intellectual deficits and the changes they cause to development) and developmental disability (which can refer to both intellectual and physical disability altering development). Causes
Developmental delay can be caused by learning disabilities, in which case the delay can usually be overcome with time and support - such as with physiotherapists, occupational therapists,vision therapist and speech and language therapists. Other causes which may cause a permanent delay in development include genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and Fragile X, childhood infections such as meningitis or encephalitis, and metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism. Metabolic disorders are more likely to cause delayed development in older children, as many congenital metabolic problems which are easily managed are screened for in the neonatal period. Child born prematurely (born before 37 weeks). The use of toxic substances in pregnancy, particularly alcohol, can lead to developmental delay if they affect the neurological development of the fetus, such as in fetal alcohol syndrome.
Even though there are many known causes of delay, some children will never receive a diagnosis. Investigation
Developmental monitoring is performed during wellness visits to check a childs development. Health authorities encourage parents to monitor their childs development, the CDCs program "Learn the Signs. Act Early" provides materials for a childs development is assessed based on expected milestones for actions like how they play, learn, speak, act and move. Missed milestones may be cause for concern, so the doctor or another specialist may call for a more thorough test or exam to take a closer look, this is usually done by going through Developmental Screening. Developmental Screening is a more involved process. The evaluating professional will ask a parent to complete a research-based questionnaire that asks about a childs development, including language, movement, thinking, behavior, and emotions. Developmental Screening is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to all children at 9, 18, and 30 months. The AAP also recommends that all children be screened specifically for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during regular well-child visits at 18 and 24 months. If a Developmental Screening indicates a delay, the child should then be assessed with a Developmental Evaluation. Developmental Evaluations are performed by a Developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, or other trained provider with the purpose of Identifying and diagnosing developmental delays and conditions. Chromosome microarray and karyotyping to look for trisomy, microdeletions, and duplications.