Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)

A child is not toilet trained, has a closed anterior fontanel, and started to climb stairs months ago. How old is he likely to be?

1. 12 months

2. 18 months

3. 24 months

4. 36 months

The correct answer is: 24 months

The child in the scenario is likely around 24 months old, given the milestones described. At this age, children commonly exhibit certain developmental traits. Typically, by 24 months, many children are beginning to climb stairs independently and show a growing sense of mobility and coordination, which corresponds with the child in the question who has started climbing stairs months ago. The closure of the anterior fontanel usually occurs by the age of 18 to 24 months, indicating that the child is within this age range. Since the anterior fontanel is closed, this reinforces the likelihood that the child is on the older side of this range, aligning well with 24 months. Toilet training readiness is a variable milestone, with many children beginning to show signs between ages 2 and 3. A child who is not yet toilet trained could still easily be around 24 months, as some children may not begin the training process until closer to age 3. Therefore, considering all these factors—the child's developmental milestones and the closure of the anterior fontanel—the age of 24 months is indeed the most reasonable assessment of the child's age in this scenario.