Understanding Childhood Global Development Delay (GDD)

Understanding Childhood Global Development Delay (GDD) Sitting up, rolling over, crawling, walking, babbling (producing initial speech sounds), talking, and toilet training are common developmental milestones for newborns and toddlers.

In a child with Developmental Delay, these skills may take a long time to develop.

What exactly is Global Development Delay and how does it affect your child?

GDD (Global Developmental Delay) entails more than simply falling "a little behind" in a developmental area. Minor or temporary delays in meeting developmental milestones are usually insignificant. Delayed development occurs when a child takes longer than other children of the same age to reach two or more developmental milestones. This is referred to as "global developmental delay." It is applicable to infants and preschoolers up to the age of five who have had developmental delays for at least six months. Delays in learning to walk and talk, sluggish development of gross and fine motor abilities, and impaired social interaction are all symptoms of developmental delay.

What are the various types of GDD? In children, there are four types of developmental delays: 1. Cognitive delay - When a child has cognitive delays, their academic performance and overall awareness of their environment suffer. Learning new subjects is difficult for children who have cognitive impairments. These children also struggle to communicate and play with other children their age.

2. Motor delay - A child's motor abilities are determined by his or her ability to coordinate various muscles in their body, such as their arms, legs, and hands.

Rolling over or crawling is difficult for infants with motor deficits. Affected children may struggle to walk up and down the stairs. Acceptable motor delays make it difficult for children to grasp toys and perform movements such as brushing their teeth or tying their shoes.

3. Social and Emotional Delay- Children with neurodevelopmental issues and developmental delays are more likely to struggle with social, emotional, and behavioural issues. Children with this illness usually take longer to fully develop their brains. As a result, they may appear to lag behind their peers in terms of learning and social relationships.

4. Speech delay- Children with this speech disorder have an oral motor disorder that prevents them from speaking, such as mouth muscle weakness or difficulty moving the tongue or jaw. This speech delay has been linked to physiological causes such as brain injury and inherited diseases.

Children with GDD symptoms

1. Loud noises should elicit a response from the baby by 3–4 months.

2. A seven-month-old child should babble and mimic sounds.

3. After a year, the baby should be able to respond to sounds.

4. A two-year-old should begin to say simple words such as "mama."

5. The baby should be able to communicate in about 15 words.

6. Should be able to speak two-syllable phrases or less without mimicking or repeating what others have said.

7. In general, they should communicate their needs through speech rather than actions.