Baby Development Issues

Failure to Gain Weight

• Babies usually gain about 1.5 pounds and get 1 to 1.5 taller each month. Although it likely is not cause for concern if your baby's growth has slowed from what it once was, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor if you are worried, according to Baby Center. The doctor will give your baby a physical exam and if there is a problem, he will try to determine the underlying cause. If your baby otherwise seems healthy and is reaching developmental milestones on time, she is probably just fine.

Speech and Language Delay

• If your baby is very slow to say his first words or not interested in babbling, he may have a speech and language delay. According to The Encyclopedia of Children's Health, speech and language delays are prevalent in babies with developmental disabilities. Your baby should be able to say a handful of words at 16 months, and more complex words and sentences by age 2. If this is not the case, he should have an audiometric assessment to determine that hearing loss is not responsible for his speech delay. Autism may also be a possible cause.

Late to Reach Milestones

• There are specific milestones your baby should reach at certain times, and although the range of time is quite large, if your baby has not reached them by a certain point there may be cause for concern. By 4 months, for example, your baby should be able to reach for toys, and by 9 months he should be able to sit independently. If your baby has not reached these milestones at the proper time, talk to your doctor to find a possible cause.

Vision Problems

• Although a baby's vision is usually blurry until she is 6 months old, it should improve as she begins to coordinate her sight in both eyes, according to WebMD. Nearsightedness and farsightedness are common in children. Less common vision problems include lazy eye, infantile cataracts or strabismus, when your baby's eyes are crossed. Glasses, surgery or an eye patch are possible solutions to a vision problem your baby has.