Every child develops at their own pace, and I never want parents to panic over normal variation. But I have also seen children whose delayed development was dismissed by families as 'they will catch up' when early intervention could have made a transformative difference. Knowing what to watch for is not anxiety — it is attention.
Monthly weighing in the first year is the simplest monitoring tool. Your health center has growth charts that show whether your child is on track. A child who stops gaining weight or suddenly drops on the chart needs immediate investigation — it may be as simple as a feeding adjustment or as important as catching an underlying condition
By 6 months, most babies reach for objects and respond to their name. By 12 months, most say a few words and pull themselves to standing. By 24 months, most walk well and speak in short phrases. If your child is significantly behind these milestones, ask for a developmental assessment — early help makes the biggest difference
Talk to your child constantly — narrate what you are doing, name objects, sing songs. Roma families have a powerful oral tradition — use it. Children who hear more words develop larger vocabularies and stronger cognitive skills. This is free and more effective than any toy
Teeth: clean your baby's gums with a damp cloth from birth, and use a tiny smear of children's toothpaste from the first tooth. I see severe tooth decay in Roma children by age 3, often from bottles of sweet tea at night — this causes pain, infection, and problems eating that affect growth
Research shows that children whose developmental delays are identified and addressed before age 3 are 5 times more likely to attend school at the expected level. In settlements where I have set up monthly weighing and developmental screening, referral rates for early intervention tripled — meaning children got help they would otherwise have missed.
If your child is under 2, take them for a weight check and developmental screening at your health center this month. If your child is over 2 and you have concerns about speech, walking, or behavior, ask for a referral to a specialist. Your concern is valid — act on it.