Global Developmental Delay (GDD)—all you need to know

Overview 

All children grow and acquire skills as they age. At a certain point in time, they acquire certain skills such as language skills, motor neuron skills, etc. These are called developmental milestones.  

It is not essential that all children should reach developmental milestones at the same time. They tend to develop skills and attain growth at their own pace.  

For instance, two babies of the same age in the same house can learn to babble, crawl and identify faces at different rates. This is completely normal. Reaching milestones doesn’t have to be so accurate.

But if the children lag far behind the normal rate to reach a milestone, it could cause concern. In addition, if there is a delay in reaching more than two milestones for a child, this too needs to be considered.  

Such delay in reaching the developmental milestones by the child is known as Global Developmental Delay (GDD).  

What are the symptoms of Global Developmental Delay?

The developmental skills of children are categorised into the following main areas:

• Cognitive skills
• Social and emotional skills
• Speech and language skills
• Gross and fine motor skills

Based on a child’s age, they start acquiring the skills one by one. Slight delays in reaching such milestones are not something to be worried about.  

However, children with GDD take a long time to pass each milestone. Sometimes they get stuck without acquiring the necessary skills that have to be acquired by then.  

The GDD symptoms can be subtle at the beginning. As a parent, you need to closely observe any lag in your child’s development.  

To find any abnormalities or delays in your child’s development, you can compare your child’s development with the list of developmental milestones. You can also get a list of GDDs on the internet. The developmental milestones for language skills are:

• By this time, the baby starts to respond to loud noises. It also tries talking and babbling a lot.  
• By the fourth month, they try to imitate sounds.  
• From the seventh month onwards, the child responds to sounds and reacts to them.  
• The child will successfully utter words by around one year and start calling out names.  
• By two years, the child will start talking phrases with more than a word. It will also begin to communicate with speech more than actions.  

The developmental milestones in terms of motor neuron skills are:

• By around 3 months, the child will be able to lift its head.
• By around 6 months, the baby can sit with a little support.
• Before completing 2 years, the baby can stand up and start to walk.
• Before the age of 5, the baby can stand up on one leg for at least 10 seconds and eat using a spoon.  

By comparing your child’s developmental milestones with the above list, you can identify if there’s any delay in your child’s development.  

What causes the Global Developmental Delay?

Mostly, parents think that it is their fault in parenting that causes the delay in the development of the children. But the reality shows otherwise. The global developmental delay does not have a single root cause.  

But some problems can be traced down to the Global Developmental Delay.

Complications at birth

If the baby does not get enough oxygen inside the womb, it may lead to some developmental issues. It also happens if the mother experiences severe bleeding during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol and smoking can also be attributed to GDD.  

Environmental problems

The pregnant mother and the baby should not be exposed to environmental pollutants. Drinking contaminated water and living in areas of excessive mining often leads to severe health disorders.  

Such conditions are detrimental to the growth and development of children.

Poor nutrition

Nutrition is essential for the healthy being of an individual. Lack of nutrients in pregnant mothers often gives rise to the birth of malnutrition children.  

Children who are malnourished find it difficult to function in the normal way. The time taken to reach their developmental milestones will take longer than usual.  

Global developmental delay can also be a symptom of other health conditions:

• Cerebral palsy
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Genetic disorders – fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome  
• Landau Kleffner syndrome

What is the available treatment for Global Developmental Delay?

If you notice some lag in the development of your children, it is advisable to consult a child specialist as soon as possible. The sooner you consult the doctor, the better the effect of therapy your child can get.

GDD treatment differs from one child to another. Usually, doctors recommend therapies based on the delay in achieving specific developmental milestones.  

For instance, the doctor may recommend physical therapy for the delay in developing motor neuron skills and speech-language therapy for speech delays.  

In conclusion

A mere delay in achieving a developmental milestone is not an issue. But long lags result in complications in your child’s overall cognitive, physical and social development.  

Early detection of problems concerning your child’s development will help your child get an early diagnosis and attain healthy adulthood.