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How A Baby's Environment Can Lead To Developmental Delays And Issues

by Guy Jacobs

If you recently obtained custody rights of your two-year old grandchild and are worried that he or she may have some developmental issues, you may want to have the child tested and examined by a trained professional. If you have custody of this child, there is a good chance the child was not in a healthy environment during his or her first two years. A child's environment can have huge effects on his or her development, and here are several things to understand about this.

Environment affects the way a child's brain develops

For babies to grow and develop properly, they need the right type of environment to live in. An environment that is ideal for children is one that is loving, consistent, and nurturing. Kids need to be touched, hugged, talked to, and taught. They need to be around the same people, in the same place, and with the same routines each day. Without these factors, a child's brain may have trouble developing normally.

When children are not in good environments, their brains will not form all the connections that normally occur. This is vital because a child's brain is most flexible during the first few years of life. Once the brain begins losing this flexibility, it becomes more difficult for children to learn and think properly.

Problems this can lead to

There are a variety of issues this can lead to with children, and you might see some of these issues with your grandchild:

  • Not talking – One effect of being exposed to a poor environment is problems talking. This can include not saying a lot of words or not being able to say sounds properly.
  • Motor skills – Developmental issues involving motor skills is another effect this can have on a child. You may see this as your grandchild is playing or trying to accomplish something like building something out of blocks. He or she might not have good balance or the ability to complete small tasks that most two-year-olds can.
  • Behavioral issues – Living in a poor environment can also cause children to act out. This is primarily because they were not given examples of how to properly act.

Things you can do for your grandchild

If you feel that your grandchild has developmental issues like the ones described here, you should talk to the doctor about what can be done to get them back on track. There are early childhood programs that are designed to help kids like this, and your doctor may suggest looking into an early intervention program. These programs can help children catch up to where they should be, and they can also help diagnose any types of learning disabilities children might have.

If you would like to learn more about this, contact a center that specializes in early child development. They can direct you to your options for helping your grandchild.

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