Experiences late changes in the physical appearance and structure of the face and body

Newborn to 2 months after 2 months, doesn't hold his head up when you pick him up from lying on his back after 2 months, still feels particularly stiff or floppy after 2 months, overextends his back and neck (acts as if he's pushing away from you) when held cradled in your arms after 2 or 3 months, stiffens, crosses, or "scissors" his legs when you pick him up by the trunk

3 to 6 months by 3 or 4 months, doesn't grasp or reach for toys by 3 or 4 months, can't support his head well by 4 months, isn't bringing objects to his mouth by 4 months, doesn't push down with his legs when his feet are placed on a firm surface after 4 months, still has Moro reflex (when he falls backward or is startled, he throws out his arms and legs, extends his neck, and then quickly brings his arms back together and begins to cry) after 5 or 6 months, still has the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (when his head turns to one side, his arm on that side will straighten, with the opposite arm bent up as if he's holding a fencing sword) by 6 months, can't sit with help after 6 months, reaches out with only one hand while keeping the other fisted doesn't roll over in either direction (back to front or front to back) by 5 or 6 months

7 to 9 months at 7 months, has poor head control when pulled to a sitting position at 7 months, is unable to get objects into his mouth at 7 months, is not reaching for objects by 7 months, doesn't bear some weight on his legs by 9 months, can't sit independently

9 to 12 months after 10 months, crawls in a lopsided manner, pushing off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg at 12 months, is not crawling at 12 months, can't stand with support

13 to 24 months by 18 months, can't walk after several months of walking, doesn't walk confidently or consistently walks on toes after his second birthday, is growing less than 2 inches per year (get more on anormal growth rate)

36 months falls frequently or is unable to use the stairs drools persistently can't manipulate small objects

Late childhood is considered to encompass ages 9 through 12, approximately. Other terms linked with late childhood are "puberty" and "preteen. Although most children experience puberty between the ages of 9 and 12, some can start before age 9. On the other hand, there are some children who are late bloomers, not reaching puberty until age 13 or even later. If children are either early or late in going through puberty, it's important for parents to reassure their children that there isn't anything wrong with them.

The primary symptom of late physical development in adolescence is delayed puberty, which is evident if a girl has shown no signs of breast development and has not yet begun her menstrual cycle by age 13. Girls who display breast growth on time but do not menstruate for five years also are considered to have late physical development.

Boys who have delayed puberty do not experience testicular growth by the age of 14, do not have pubic hair by age 15 and have genital growth that takes more than five years.

Basic characteristics Signicant proportional changes occur in bone, muscle, and fat tissue. Different parts of the body grow at different rates. Arm and leg length increases before the trunk. Decreases in exibility result directly from growth. Increases in growth and decreases in exibility make adolescents prone to injury from acute impact.

General impact on performance Athletes may temporarily lose some of their kinaesthetic awareness, their ability to know where they are. Athletes may appear gangly and lose control of their extremities. Movement may become restricted. Injury can result from exercise of an acute nature such as forced elongation of muscles during kicking and jumping or from overuse.

chromosomal abnormality diabetes anemia abnormal hormone levels run in families - Learning to walk late can also run in families or it may be a reflection of your child's personality: some children are more independent than others, and this has a bearing on how soon they learn various skills. You may also find your child takes no interest in walking for months and then makes a sudden leap forwards (literally!).

inherited from biological parents Delays based on genetic influences are estimated to account for about 15 to 25 percent of developmental disorders. metabolic conditions (e.g., PKU) or syndromes (e.g., fragile-X) are examples of genetic factors that contribute to biological changes.

Infections lead poisoning head injuries prenatal exposure to toxins Some children will have delays in a particular area, such as walking, while the rest of their skills continue developing on or ahead of schedule. If that's the case for your child, it may just mean he's concentrating so hard on talking or understanding that his brain has pushed walking to a back burner for the moment.

If symptoms are serious, a doctor can run blood tests, do an X-ray to observe bone maturity or, less commonly, run an MRI or CT scan. Once the cause is determined, appropriate treatment will begin, unless the delayed growth is hereditary. Hormone therapy or surgery are possible treatment options.