CDC releases app for parents to track child development

Tracking a child’s development is important in ensuring one meets age-related milestones. To make this easier for parents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a millstone app for parents.

The Milestone Tracker app, available for both Apple and Android devices, provides parents with the ability to receive support and track their child’s development. Produced by the CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early” program, the app's main aim is to improve the early identification of children with developmental delays. By helping parents identify the signs of disabilities, the CDC hopes to improve the care and support the children in a quicker manner.

The app, which includes a checklist for children ages two months to 5 years, also includes tips and activities for children to learn, information for parents about when to contact a physician with a developmental concern, personalized milestone summaries that can be shared with providers and reminders for developmental screening and appointments.

“Skills like taking a first step, saying those first words, and waving ‘bye-bye’ are developmental milestones all parents anticipate and celebrate,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, MD. “This CDC Milestone Tracker app gives parents tips to help their child learn and grow, a way to track developmental milestones, recognize delays, and the ability to share this information with their healthcare provider.”