Cognitive Development in Childhood: Growth and Milestones

Cognitive growth is how kids learn, discover, and make sense of things in their environment during early years of life. It includes learning new concepts, improving what they already know, and beginning to understand and making sense of the environment around them. The growth of the brain is a big part of this process. A child's brain grows the fastest from birth to the age of two, when about 90% of its growth occurs.¹ Between 2-6 years of age, brain development and function peaks where the nerve connections and communications undergo refinement to support their optimal function for later life.

It is important to foster the early years of cognitive development of your child.  This blog discusses the important cognitive and development milestones from the age of two to five. This article will also provide you with ideas on how to support your child's developing cognition.

Focusing on Your Child’s Early Years Matters!

Some kids may have delays or problems in their growth, which is easier to deal with if it is found early. Recognizing any issue and helping your child overcome it early can prevent later health or developmental problems. How do we recognize those issues? How do you make sure your baby has reached the proper cognitive development as per their age?

Cognitive development milestone checklist: A brief step-by-step

Signs of your child's growth can be seen in how they learn, talk, act, and move. Below is a brief checklist of cognitive milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving):

For babies aged 2 years old:2

• Holds one thing while using the other hand, like taking the lid off of a jar while holding it
• Tries to play with toys that have knobs, switches, or buttons
• Plays with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate

For babies aged 2.5 years old:2 

• Engages in role-playing activities, such as feeding a doll with a block as if it were real food.
• Solves minor problems, such as utilizing a little stool to reach something
• Completes tasks that need two actions, such as "Set the toy aside and shut the door."
• Shows color recognition by doing things like identifying red crayons when asked, "Which one is red?"

For babies aged 3 years old:2

• Draws a circle or any shape when you show him how
• Understands warnings such as avoid touching hot objects, like stove

For babies aged 4 years old:2

• Names a few colors of different objects
• Draws a person (with at least three body parts)

For babies aged 5 years old:2

• Knows the counting from 1 to 10
• Recognizes and names some letters or numbers when they are shown (such as 1 or A)
• uses simple time-related words like "yesterday," "tomorrow," "morning," and "night" (even in Hindi)
• Maintains focus for five to ten minutes during activities like storytelling or arts and crafts (apart from screen time)
• Write some of their names.

How to support your baby’s developing cognitive skills?

A child’s cognitive function is influenced by various stimulation that they receive during this phase. Stimulations like environment, social development with peers, parents, family, puzzles, role-plays, etc. influence this development. Nutrition is another critical factor that greatly influences a child’s cognitive development. Nutrients like iron, iodine, vitamin B12,  ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) are important for cognitive development.^3,4,5 Food sources of one or other may include the following:

• Colorful vegetables and fruits (spinach & other leafy greens, beetroot, carrots, berries, etc.)
• Dairy products (curd, yogurt, milk, cottage cheese [paneer])
• Animal-sourced food⁶ (meat [lamb, chicken], fish [salmon, trout, sardine], eggs)
• Opt for whole grains (oats, brown rice, etc).
• Fortified milk and food (rich in essential nutrients to support increased consumption of these nutrients)

Make sure your baby’s daily diet is rich in iron, vitamin B12, iodine, and ALA, DHA. By including nutrient-dense foods and providing food diversity in your child's diet, you can help them develop cognitively for life. Fortified milk and food help increase overall nutritional intake.   Consult your pediatrician to understand more.

Have more questions? Feel free to reach out anytime. Place your queries in the comment box below, and we will try to answer them.