Fall Health and Wellness 2022

NOW WHAT?
NOW WHAT?
NOW WHAT?
It is a moment new parents spend
nine months of their lives preparing for.
Their baby has arrived, and after they take
them home, they will grow and develop as
time goes on.
What should new parents look out
for? Dr. Kimberly Coker, a pediatrician for
Primary Pediatrics in Bonaire, broke it down.
She explained that as time goes on,
parents should look out for developmental
delays in infancy. She further explained
that pediatricians also look out for delays in
motor development and social development
during check-ups as well.
“In each one of those we do developmental
surveillance,” she explained. “We
ask questions on what is developmentally
accurate for that age.”
What does the typical timeline look
like? Coker explained that also.
Keep in mind as a child grows
and develops, consulting
with a pediatrician will assist
parents in figuring out if their
children are hitting milestones
in a timely manner.
At two months, babies will be
checked for “head lag,” meaning that their
head should not be slumped over when
standing upright.
At four months, babies should be
able to smile when somebody smiles at them
and be able to make eye contact. Also, at four
months, parents are encouraged to place babies
on their stomachs to help them become
stronger in holding up their heads.
At six months, there should be no
more head lag and babies should be able to
roll over and make efforts to sit up and crawl.
Socially, they should be able to smile and
babble.
At nine months, babies should be
able to walk a few steps while holding onto
furniture and continuing to babble.
At 12 months, they should be able
to take steps and talk directly to parents
by saying things like “ma-ma” or “da-da.”
They should also be able to transition out of
breastfeeding.
At each checkup, pediatricians will
also track a baby’s growth by measuring their
height, weight and head circumference.
STORY BY BRIEANNA ROMERO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIEANNA ROMERO
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