Tracking height, weight and milestones from birth to adolescence – so speech delay, short height or poor weight gain is spotted early and helped early. With Dr. Neha Garg Jaiswal, who has presented research on short stature in children.
Growth shows how well your child’s body is nourished; development shows how the brain is maturing. Both follow predictable patterns.
When a child falls off their growth curve or misses a milestone, early assessment makes a big difference – the first five years are when the brain responds best to help.
Dr. Neha measures weight, length or height and head size, and plots them on WHO charts (birth to 5 years) and IAP charts (5 to 18 years). She looks at the pattern over several visits, not one reading.
A child on the 10th percentile who stays there is usually healthy; a child dropping from the 50th to the 10th needs review.
Every child develops at their own pace within a range. Premature babies are judged by corrected age.
| Age | What most children can do |
|---|---|
| 2 months | Smiles at people, follows faces, lifts head on tummy |
| 4 months | Holds head steady, laughs, brings hands to mouth |
| 6 months | Rolls over, sits with support, babbles, reaches for toys |
| 9 months | Sits without support, crawls, responds to name, stranger anxiety |
| 12 months | Pulls to stand, cruises, says “mama/papa” with meaning, waves bye |
| 18 months | Walks alone, says several words, points to show things |
| 2 years | Runs, uses 2-word phrases, follows simple instructions |
| 3 years | Talks in short sentences, climbs well, plays with other children |
Speech delay is one of the most common worries in toddlers. Causes include hearing problems, too much screen time, limited conversation at home, bilingual homes (a normal, temporary lag) and developmental conditions such as autism. A hearing test and a developmental assessment are the first steps.
Help at home: talk and read to your child daily, name objects, sing rhymes, and keep screens off for children under 2.
Most short children are healthy – short because their parents are, or because they are late bloomers. Concerning causes include poor nutrition, chronic illness, thyroid and growth-hormone problems. Dr. Neha calculates your child’s expected height from both parents’ heights, studies growth speed and orders tests only when needed.
Poor weight gain can come from low intake, frequent infections, feeding difficulties, worms, food intolerance or an underlying illness – a careful history usually finds the cause.
Pregnancy, birth, feeding, illnesses and both parents’ heights.
Plotted on growth charts and compared with earlier readings.
Using standard developmental screening tools.
Blood, thyroid, hearing or vision tests.
Home activities, nutrition, therapy referral or follow-up.
In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital straight away. For guidance, call or WhatsApp +91 98184 07725.
Short, clear answers to the questions parents ask Dr. Neha most often. Your own child’s situation is always best discussed in person.
Ask on WhatsAppMost children say their first meaningful words around 12 months and 2-word phrases by 2 years.
Most children walk between 9 and 18 months. Not walking by 18 months should be assessed.
Adult height can be estimated from both parents’ heights. Dr. Neha can calculate this at the visit.
Heavy screen use in young children is linked to slower speech. Screens are not advised under 2 years, except video calls.
Yes – at both the Noida Sector 76 and Greater Noida West clinics.
MBBS, MD (Paediatrics) · Pediatrician & Neonatologist
Dr. Neha is a pediatrician and neonatologist with 15+ years of clinical experience, including newborn and paediatric care at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, ESIC Hospital Noida, Cloudnine and Yashoda. She consults at her clinics in Noida Sector 76 and Greater Noida West, and online.
Worried about speech, height, weight or milestones? Early assessment makes the biggest difference.
