Milestones Practice Questions

Question 1

A 6-month-old boy is brought to the physician for a well-child examination. The boy was born at term, and the pregnancy was complicated by prolonged labor. There is no family history of any serious illnesses. He can sit upright but needs help to do so and cannot roll over from the prone to the supine position. He can grasp his rattle and can transfer it from one hand to the other. He babbles. He cries if anyone apart from his parents holds him or plays with him. He touches his own reflection in the mirror. Vital signs are within normal limits. He is at the 40th percentile for head circumference, 30th percentile for length, and 40th percentile for weight. Physical examination reveals no abnormalities. Which of the following developmental milestones is delayed in this infant?

Accepted Answer

Gross motor

Answer

Fine motor

Answer

Social

Answer

Language

Answer

Cognitive

Question 2

A 4-year-old girl presents to the office with her parents who are concerned about their daughter and slow, progressive changes in her behavior. The girl was born at 39 weeks gestation via spontaneous vaginal delivery. She is up to date on all vaccines and was meeting all developmental milestones until about 2 years ago. At one point she had a vocabulary of several words and now she verbalizes in grunts. She also flaps her hands in a repeated motion and has difficulty walking. Her parents have tried several home therapies to improve their daughter's symptoms including restricted diets, hydrotherapy, and a variety of nutritional supplements. The vital signs include: heart rate 90/min, respiratory rate 22/min, blood pressure 110/65 mm Hg, and temperature 36.9°C (98.4°F). On physical exam, she is well nourished and stares absently out the window. Her heart has a regular rate and rhythm and her lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally. She has mild scoliosis. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Rett syndrome

Answer

Autistic spectrum disorder

Answer

Tourette syndrome

Answer

Cerebral palsy

Answer

Phenylketonuria

Question 3

A 4-year-old boy is brought to the physician because of non-fluent speech. His mother worries that his vocabulary is limited for his age and because he cannot use simple sentences to communicate. She says he enjoys playing with his peers and parents, but he has always lagged behind in his speaking and communication. His speech is frequently not understood by strangers. He physically appears normal. His height and weight are within the normal range for his age. He responds to his name, makes eye contact, and enjoys the company of his mother. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Audiology testing

Answer

Referral to speech therapist

Answer

Evaluate response to methylphenidate

Answer

Psychiatric evaluation

Answer

Thyroid-stimulating hormone

Question 4

A 13-month-old girl is brought to the physician for a well-child examination. She was born at 38 weeks' gestation. There is no family history of any serious illnesses. She cannot pull herself to stand from a sitting position. She can pick an object between her thumb and index finger but cannot drink from a cup or feed herself using a spoon. She comes when called by name and is willing to play with a ball. She cries if she does not see her parents in the same room as her. She coos “ma” and “ba.” She is at the 50th percentile for height and weight. Physical examination including neurologic examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most appropriate assessment of her development?

Accepted Answer

Fine motor: normal | Gross motor: delayed | Language: delayed | Social skills: normal

Answer

Fine motor: normal | Gross motor: delayed | Language: normal | Social skills: delayed

Answer

Fine motor: delayed | Gross motor: normal | Language: delayed | Social skills: normal

Answer

Fine motor: delayed | Gross motor: delayed | Language: normal | Social skills: normal

Answer

Fine motor: delayed | Gross motor: normal | Language: normal | Social skills: delayed

Question 5

A 3-year-old boy is brought to your pediatrics office by his parents for a well-child checkup. The parents are Amish and this is the first time their child has seen a doctor. His medical history is unknown, and he was born at 39 weeks gestation. His temperature is 98.3°F (36.8°C), blood pressure is 97/58 mmHg, pulse is 90/min, respirations are 23/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. The child is in the corner stacking blocks. He does not look the physician in the eye nor answer your questions. He continually tries to return to the blocks and becomes very upset when you move the blocks back to their storage space. The parents state that the child has not begun to speak and often exhibits similar behaviors with toy blocks he has at home. On occasion, they have observed him biting his elbows. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Educating the parents about autism spectrum disorder

Answer

Risperidone

Answer

Restructuring of the home environment

Answer

Fluoxetine

Answer

Hearing exam

Question 6

A 4-year-old boy is brought to a pediatrician by his parents for a consultation after his teacher complained about his inability to focus or make friends at school. They mention that the boy does not interact well with others at home, school, or daycare. On physical examination, his vital signs are stable with normal weight, height, and head circumference for his age and sex. His general examination and neurologic examination are completely normal. A recent audiological evaluation shows normal hearing, and intellectual disability has been ruled out by a clinical psychologist. Which of the following investigations is indicated as part of his diagnostic evaluation at present?

Accepted Answer

Autism spectrum disorder screening and developmental assessment

Answer

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain

Answer

Electroencephalography

Answer

No further testing is needed

Answer

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning of head

Question 7

A male child is presented at the pediatric clinic for a well-child visit by his mother who reports previously normal developmental milestones. The child was born at 40 weeks with no complications during pregnancy or birth. The mother notes that the infant is able to sit without support. He is able to feed himself crackers and pureed food. He is constantly shaking his toy teddy bear but is able to stop when the mother says 'no'. Which of the following indicate the most likely language milestone the child presents with?

Accepted Answer

Babbling

Answer

Two-word combinations

Answer

Saying words such as apple and cat, though limited to around 4 different words

Answer

Able to say his first and last name

Answer

Cooing

Question 8

A child presents to his pediatrician’s clinic for a routine well visit. He can bend down and stand back up without assistance and walk backward but is not able to run or walk upstairs. He can stack 2 blocks and put the blocks in a cup. He can bring over a book when asked, and he will say “mama” and “dada” to call for his parents, as well as 'book', 'milk', and 'truck'. How old is this child if he is developmentally appropriate for his age?

Accepted Answer

15 months

Answer

18 months

Answer

9 months

Answer

12 months

Answer

24 months

Question 9

A 3-year-old boy is brought to the physician for evaluation of developmental delay. He could sit alone at 12 months and started walking with support at the age of 2 years. He can name only very few familiar objects and uses simple two-word sentences. He cannot stack more than 2 blocks. His parents report that he does not like playing with other children. He is at the 80th percentile for head circumference, 85th percentile for height, and 50th percentile for weight. He has a long and narrow face as well as large protruding ears. His thumbs can be passively flexed to the ipsilateral forearm. This patient is at increased risk of developing which of the following conditions?

Accepted Answer

Mitral regurgitation

Answer

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Answer

Acute myeloid leukemia

Answer

Aortic dissection

Answer

Hyperuricemia

Question 10

A six-year-old male presents to the pediatrician for a well child visit. The patient’s parents report that they are struggling to manage his temper tantrums, which happen as frequently as several times per day. They usually occur in the morning before school and during mealtimes, when his parents try to limit how much he eats. The patient often returns for second or third helpings at meals and snacks throughout the day. The patient’s parents have begun limiting the patient’s food intake because he has been gaining weight. They also report that the patient recently began first grade but still struggles with counting objects and naming letters consistently. The patient sat without support at 11 months of age and walked at 17 months of age. He is in the 99th percentile for weight and 5th percentile for height. On physical exam, he has almond-shaped eyes and a downturned mouth. He has poor muscle tone.

Which of the following additional findings would most likely be seen in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Hypogonadism

Answer

Webbed neck

Answer

Macroorchidism

Answer

Ataxia

Answer

Hemihyperplasia

Milestones

Study Resources

Lessons

Questions

Flashcards

Lessons

Gross motor milestones

Fine motor milestones

Language development

Social-emotional development

Cognitive development

Denver Developmental Screening Test

Red flags for developmental delay

Developmental surveillance

Delayed milestones evaluation

Early intervention services

Milestone variations in preterm infants

Cultural influences on development

Developmental regression causes

Practice Questions

Flashcards

About Milestones for USMLE

Lessons in Milestones

Master Milestones