The week's best parenting advice: February 15, 2022

Developmental milestones get an update, navigating nudity around your kids, and more

A baby.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

1. Developmental milestones get an update

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics updated their checklist of developmental milestones for infants and young children for the first time since it was released in 2004, writes Jackie Spinner in The Washington Post. Developmental experts hope the changes will give parents, doctors, and caregivers clearer benchmarks for when children typically do things, making it easier to identify signs of autism or social-communication disabilities and encouraging parents to seek interventions earlier. Previous guidelines missed some of the indicators that a child may be autistic, such as the fact that most children start smiling to get attention starting at about 4 months old. Pediatrician Paul Lipkin, one of the 13 experts who developed the new metrics, called the update "long overdue."

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Stephanie H. Murray

Stephanie H. Murray is a public policy researcher turned freelance writer.