An 18-month-old boy cannot walk independently, does not wave bye-bye, says only 'mama/dada' non-specifically, and cannot build a 2-cube tower. At what age should ALL these skills have normally been achieved?

• A All by 12 months
• B All by 15 months
• C Walking by 15 months; waving and words by 12 months; cube tower by 18 months
• D Walking and waving by 12 months; 2-cube tower and meaningful words by 15 months ✓

Explanation

Expected milestones: independent walking by 12–15 months (90th percentile 15 months); waving bye-bye by 9–12 months; one meaningful word by 12 months (mama/dada specifically); 2-cube tower by 15 months; 3-cube tower by 18 months. An 18-month-old without walking, without a 2-cube tower, without specific words, and without social gesture (waving) has delays across multiple domains — global developmental delay — requiring full developmental assessment. The key clinical point: not walking by 18 months is always a red flag warranting immediate neurological evaluation.

Reference: Ghai Essential Pediatrics, 10th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.