Updated Pediatric Developmental Milestones: Implications for Pediatric Providers

Abstract

Pediatric developmental surveillance is a standard of care and is expected at routine health supervision visits. The Learn the Signs. Act Early checklists, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are widely used milestone checklists that aid providers in pediatric developmental surveillance. In early 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics revised the checklists due to deficiencies uncovered during the previous 15 years of use. Goals of this revision include ensuring the milestone checklists are evidence-informed, clarify when most children can be expected to reach a milestone, and facilitate clinical judgment.