For parents, few sights are as precious as seeing their baby’s genuine smile. For this reason, it was heartbreaking for Elizabet’s mother to watch her 10-month-old baby struggle to move, and as a result, hold her tiny head down in frustration. Her mother sought help, and The Warren Center evaluated Elizabet and diagnosed her with her with developmental delays due to prematurity.
Following the diagnosis, Elizabet began working with an occupational therapist in The Warren Center’s Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program. Her mother soon observed remarkable progress. Before the program, Elizabet would only extend her arms fully if she was sitting in her mother’s lap and fully supported by an adult. Now, Elizabet can use her arms and hands to sit up without needing an adult to hold her upright. She can crawl and has made effort to pull herself up to her knees. Elizabet can hold her head up on her own and play with toys, and she can even prop herself up to a small table and play with toys for extended periods. Best of all, she is happy and smiling about all of her accomplishments and achievements.
Motor skills development is one of the most important milestones of a child’s first year of life. With the help of The Warren Center, Elizabet now has range of motion and can hold her head high. As he mother explains, “Elizabet has changed a lot. I was sad when she held her head down, but now she is mischievous…getting into everything. She’s pulling everything out of my purse and moving around…We were happy to see her smile.”