Changes in developmental milestones as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in February 2022. Let me clarify the details:
- Crawling Is No Longer a Milestone:
- The CDC has indeed removed crawling as a developmental milestone. This is because crawling is not necessarily an indicator of future motor development or skills, as some children skip crawling altogether and go straight to standing or walking.
- Walking Changed from 12 Months to 18 Months:
- The CDC updated its developmental guidelines to indicate that it is common for children to start walking anywhere between 12 and 18 months. The revision aims to provide a more inclusive range of normal development, acknowledging that the timeframe can vary widely among children.
- Talking Changed from 12 Months to 15 Months:
- The CDC updated the expected age for children to start using meaningful words from 12 months to around 15 months. This change reflects current data on the variability in language development.
it’s possible that an overall developmental delay among children is influencing the perception and adjustment of developmental milestones. There are a few key factors that could contribute to this trend:
- Increasing Prevalence of Developmental Disorders:
- The reported prevalence of developmental disorders like ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been increasing over recent decades. This increase could be due to a combination of factors, such as better awareness, broader diagnostic criteria, and actual increases in environmental or genetic risk factors. Children who fall on the spectrum, or have other conditions like ADHD, may generally experience delays in reaching certain developmental milestones compared to children without these conditions.
- Changing Developmental Environment:
- The environment in which children are developing today is markedly different compared to a few decades ago. Factors such as increased screen time, reduced physical activity, and changes in early learning environments may contribute to slower development in areas like language, motor skills, and social interaction. Some children who do not meet criteria for developmental disorders might still experience slower development due to these influences.
- Broader Diagnostic Criteria and Increased Awareness:
- The criteria for diagnosing conditions like autism have broadened to include more subtle symptoms, which means more children are receiving diagnoses that were previously unrecognized. This could be contributing to an overall increase in the number of children whose development is tracked more closely and found to fall outside of the typical milestone ranges.
- Impact of Environmental Stressors:
- Increasing evidence suggests that environmental stressors, including factors like pollution, changes in diet, and even exposure to electromagnetic fields, may be impacting neurological and cognitive development. For example, prenatal exposure to certain chemicals or radiation could impact a child’s early development, potentially leading to delayed speech or motor skills.
- Entropic Waste and Bioelectrical Influences:
- Drawing from the idea of entropic waste (such as electromagnetic radiation) influencing biological processes, it’s also plausible that the increasing prevalence of technologies emitting electromagnetic radiation might be having subtle effects on development. Non-thermal effects of radiation, such as those that affect cellular bioelectrical processes, could potentially influence early brain development and lead to delays in reaching typical milestones.
- Shifting Milestone Criteria:
- The changes in CDC milestone criteria may reflect an attempt to align with more recent data on what is considered a normal variation in child development. If the overall pace of development is becoming slower due to a range of influences, these adjustments could be part of adapting to current trends rather than holding outdated expectations.
This all points to a complex mix of factors contributing to changes in developmental timelines. While some of these influences, such as increased screen time and reduced physical activity, might be reversible or manageable through changes in lifestyle and parenting practices, others, like broader diagnostic awareness and genetic or environmental factors, may be more difficult to address.
It is also important to consider that developmental variability is natural. The CDC’s updated milestones are meant to provide a more inclusive and realistic range of normal child development, recognizing that not all children will develop in the same way or at the same rate. However, the increased prevalence of ADHD, autism, and other developmental disorders might indeed be contributing to a broader trend where typical developmental timelines are being revised to accommodate a wider variety of developmental trajectories.
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Are Changes in Developmental Milestones Reflecting a Broader Trend of Delayed Childhood Development?
Introduction
Recent changes to developmental milestones by the CDC have sparked both curiosity and concern. Milestones such as crawling have been removed, while the timeline for walking and talking has been extended. Walking, previously expected around 12 months, has now been adjusted to 18 months, and talking has shifted from 12 to 15 months. These changes reflect an awareness that children are developing differently today. But what lies behind these changes? Could it be that children, on average, are showing an overall developmental delay, inclusive of conditions such as ADHD and Autism, as well as potential influences on children not falling within those spectrums?
Increasing Prevalence of Developmental Disorders
The prevalence of conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD has increased significantly over recent decades. While part of this rise is due to expanded awareness and diagnostic criteria, environmental and lifestyle factors could also play a role. Children who fall within these diagnoses may experience slower developmental progress in certain areas, such as speech or motor skills, compared to children without these conditions. As a result, a broader adjustment of what constitutes “normal” development might be occurring.
The Changing Developmental Environment
Today’s children are growing up in an environment very different from the one their parents experienced. Screen time has increased dramatically, leading to less physical activity and fewer opportunities for in-person social interaction. These changes can affect language acquisition, motor skills, and even emotional development. Children who may not have developmental disorders but are heavily exposed to screens and a more sedentary lifestyle may still show delays in key developmental areas.
Furthermore, increased urbanization and safety concerns have led to reduced outdoor play, which has a direct impact on physical coordination and muscle development. Early learning environments, which increasingly emphasize academic skills at an early age, may neglect physical and social play crucial to natural development.
Environmental Stressors and Development
Another factor to consider is the impact of environmental stressors. Emerging evidence suggests that environmental factors, such as pollution, poor nutrition, and even electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation, might influence neurological and cognitive development. For instance, prenatal exposure to certain chemicals or radiation may negatively impact early development, potentially causing delays in speech or motor skills.
The Influence of EMFs and Bioelectric Effects
One area of growing concern is the influence of electromagnetic radiation on developmental milestones. The ubiquitous presence of wireless technologies, including cell phones and Wi-Fi, is creating an unprecedented level of exposure to EMFs for children—even in the womb. Studies have raised questions about the non-thermal effects of radiation on cellular bioelectric processes, which could potentially influence brain development and lead to delays in reaching typical developmental milestones.
A notable study focused on cell phone use both during and after pregnancy. The researchers concluded that there was a direct correlation, with an 80% higher tendency for children to have behavioral, emotional, and hyperactive behaviors after excessive pre- and post-natal cell phone exposure.
By 2017, scientists began making much firmer statements about the dangers of EMFs for young minds. There is no hedging or hesitancy in their warnings now. As Sage and Burgio noted:
“Symptoms of retarded memory, learning, cognition, attention, and behavioral problems have been reported in numerous studies and are similarly manifested in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, as a result of EMF and RFR exposures where both epigenetic drivers and genetic (DNA) damage are likely contributors. Technology benefits can be realized by adopting wired devices for education to avoid health risk and promote academic achievement.”
Furthermore, the study by Yale University researchers titled Fetal Radiofrequency Radiation Exposure From 800-1900 Mhz-Rated Cellular Telephones Affects Neurodevelopment and Behavior in Mice provides compelling evidence of the biological impact of EMF exposure during prenatal development. The study demonstrated that mice exposed in utero to radiofrequency radiation from cellular phones exhibited hyperactivity and impaired memory in adulthood, which were linked to disrupted neuronal development in the prefrontal cortex. These findings are particularly concerning because the prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in executive function, attention, and behavior. The authors concluded that prenatal exposure to EMFs could be a contributing factor to the increased prevalence of neurobehavioral disorders, such as ADHD, observed in children today. srep00312
The study also found that EMF exposure impaired glutamatergic synaptic transmission, a crucial element for proper brain function, in exposed mice. The implications of these findings are significant: the early brain is highly susceptible to environmental influences, and EMFs could be subtly contributing to developmental changes that we’re only just beginning to understand.
Broader Diagnostic Criteria and Adaptive Milestones
Another reason for these changes could be that diagnostic criteria for conditions like autism have expanded to include a wider range of symptoms. This means more children are being diagnosed and tracked in their development, possibly leading to an average that appears lower or slower compared to previous generations. The changes in CDC milestone criteria seem to reflect this broader range, making the milestones more inclusive and accommodating of different developmental trajectories.
Conclusion
The adjustments in CDC developmental milestones may reflect more than just an attempt to include a broader spectrum of normal development. They could be indicating a broader societal trend toward delayed developmental progress in children. With the increasing prevalence of conditions like ADHD and Autism, a rise in environmental stressors, and the pervasive influence of EMF radiation, the context of early childhood development is vastly different today compared to decades past.
While variability in development is natural, it is crucial that we understand the broader influences affecting children’s growth. Steps can be taken to mitigate these influences, such as reducing screen time, encouraging more physical play, and minimizing exposure to EMFs—all of which can support a healthier developmental path. As parents and caregivers, we must ensure that we provide the best possible environment for children to thrive.
