US Medical Term · maternity
Developmental Milestones
Hitos del desarrollo
Also: Logros del desarrollo (regional variant)
What it means
Developmental milestones are behaviors or physical skills seen in infants and children as they grow and develop. Rolling over, crawling, walking, and talking are all considered milestones, and the milestones are different for each age range. There is a normal range in which a child may reach each milestone: for example, walking may begin as early as 8 months in some children, while others walk as late as 18 months and it is still considered normal. One of the reasons for well-child visits in the early years is to follow the child's development. Milestones can also help to identify a child who needs a more detailed evaluation than may be possible at those visits. MedlinePlus says to talk to the child's provider about any concerns about the child's development.
Developmental Milestones in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Hitos del desarrollo
- Gender and article
- masculine plural: los hitos del desarrollo (singular: el hito del desarrollo)
- Pronunciation
- EE-tohs del deh-sah-RROH-yoh
Hitos del desarrollo is the form MedlinePlus en español uses: its encyclopedia article begins Los hitos del desarrollo son comportamientos o destrezas físicas observadas en lactantes y niños, and the same article glosses the word as hitos o acontecimientos fundamentales. Its toddler page writes hitos en el desarrollo. The Spanish dictionary enters hito as a masculine noun for a stone marker or post that shows direction or distance on roads, and also for a key, fundamental person, thing or event within a field or context.
On the MedlinePlus en español toddler page, the link to the CDC's milestone page is titled Indicadores del desarrollo de los CDC. The alternative names listed for the Spanish article are hitos del desarrollo en los niños, hitos del desarrollo normal en la infancia and hitos del desarrollo en la infancia. Words the article uses alongside the term are consultas del niño sano (well-child visits), terapia del habla (speech therapy) and fisioterapia (physical therapy).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician | Is your baby rolling over and sitting without support yet? | ¿Su bebé ya se da vuelta y se sienta sin apoyo? |
| Patient | He sits alone, but he is not crawling yet. | Se sienta solo, pero todavía no gatea. |
| Patient | My daughter is 18 months old and does not walk yet. Is that still normal? | Mi hija tiene 18 meses y todavía no camina. ¿Sigue siendo normal? |
| Clinician | There is a normal range for each milestone, and there are many normal paces of development. | Hay un rango normal para cada hito, y existen muchos ritmos de desarrollo normales. |
| Patient | Where can I find a list of developmental milestones for her age? | ¿Dónde puedo encontrar una lista de los hitos del desarrollo para su edad? |
| Clinician | How many words does your son say, and does he understand simple commands? | ¿Cuántas palabras dice su hijo, y entiende órdenes sencillas? |
| Clinician | I would like to do a more detailed evaluation of his development. | Me gustaría hacer una evaluación más detallada de su desarrollo. |
| Patient | Would speech therapy help him? | ¿Le ayudaría la terapia del habla? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Developmental Milestones |
| Spanish (Español) | Hitos del desarrollo |
| Chinese (中文) | 發育里程碑 |
| Korean (한국어) | 발달 이정표 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Các mốc phát triển |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Mga development milestone |
| Portuguese (Português) | Marcos do desenvolvimento |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | พัฒนาการตามวัย |
| Japanese (日本語) | 発達のマイルストーン |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: F88 → Other disorders of psychological developmentRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy
All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo
Sources
- Developmental milestones record — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, National Library of Medicine
- Registro de los hitos del desarrollo — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Toddler Development — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Desarrollo del niño pequeño — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- hito, ta — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026