Understanding maturational delay in infants and children

The maturational delay is also understood as a delay in development and has many different causes. They can be genetic causes, complications in pregnancy or childbirth ... Often however, the cause may be unknown. Some of the causes can be easily reversed if caught early, such as hearing loss from chronic ear infections.

There are many different conditions that can lead to a child having a developmental delay, there is no single 'right' way to avoid developmental delay. What is important to consider when if your baby is reaching his developmental milestones. To know this, you should consult with your pediatrician to detect any problems. Early intervention is key to helping your child overcome the delay in maturity.

How is maturity delay treated?

There is no one way to deal maturational delay since there is not only one treatment that can work in children. Each child is different and you need to know him in a personalized way to know exactly what is happening to him and to be able to treat him according to his specific needs.

Children are unique, they learn, grow and develop in their own way, at their own pace based on their strengths and weaknesses. Any treatment plan will lead you to a uniqueness to consider, as it should be designed to focus on individual needs.

Early intervention is the main treatment, but it will depend on whether there is an underlying disease that exists in the developmental delay. The services of early stimulation may include the following aspects:

- Speech and language therapy

- Occupational therapy

- Physical therapy

- Behavioral therapies - such as to treat autism or ADHD for example-

Also, if there are other disabilities, current medical treatments may be necessary to manage your child's specific conditions.  It is important that all children with developmental delays have a hearing and vision check before anything else to assess whether it may be the delay due to an untreated visual or hearing impairment that is complicating the situation.

Differences between a maturational delay and a disability

A delay in maturation is not the same as a disability. Doctors sometimes use these terms to refer to the same thing, but the reality is that they are very different. Next I will explain it to you so that you can differentiate it perfectly from now on.

A disability

These are physical or mental problems and children will never overcome it, although they can improve significantly with good follow-up. Disabilities create learning and self-care problems. The particular condition can cause additional developmental problems and even brain damage.

Maturation delays

Maturational delays or developmental delays are not usually caused by physical or mental conditions, and with good treatment they will disappear over time. There may be signs of attention and learning problems. Early intervention is necessary because it will help children advance in their abilities. Some children who have delays in their abilities when they reach school age, it is also necessary that they have attention and reinforcement through a specialist - a therapeutic pedagogue / a or a psychopedagogue / a-.

If your child is not reaching the goals according to his age as he should, it is necessary that a specialist evaluate him to know exactly what his current situation is. An assessment could locate the source of the problem. You could also assess what services and supports would be necessary to meet your needs and that you can move forward.

Possible areas of maturational delay

A maturation delay can occur in a single area or in a few. The maturational delay is usually always in two or more areas of development. When children develop basic skills in the areas of development, it can be seen that some possible causes of maturational delay can be:

- Maturational delay in cognition. This is the ability to think, learn, and solve problems. In babies this appears when there is no curiosity about the environment. It is the way in which a baby explains to his environment that he is not interested in what is happening around him - since curiosity in a baby is when he explores the world with his eyes, ears or hands. In young children they also include things like trouble learning to count, name colors, or learn new words.

- Social and emotional skills. This is the ability to relate to other people. It includes being able to express and control your emotions. In babies it means that he smiles at others or makes sounds to communicate, a maturational delay is when he does not. In young children it means that he is able to ask for help, show and express his feelings and get along with others… there may be a maturational delay if he does not.

- Speech and language skills. This is the ability to use and understand language. For babies, this includes cooing and babbling. In older children it includes understanding what is being said and using the correct words so that others can understand your message. A maturational lag in this area is when this is not met.

- Fine and gross motor skills. This is the ability to use the small muscles - fine motor skills -, especially in the hands and the large muscles - gross motor skills - of the body. Babies use fine motor skills to grasp objects. Toddlers and preschoolers use holding utensils to make things, work with objects, and draw. Babies use gross motor skills when it comes to sitting up, rolling over, and starting to walk. Older children use them to do things like jump, run, and climb stairs. A delay in maturation in this area would imply problems in this field.

- Activities in daily life. This is the ability to handle everyday tasks. For children it includes habits such as eating, dressing and undressing, bathing, etc.