Newborn and infant period (0 to 1 year)
The newborn period is the first 28 days. The infant period is the first year. Growth is the fastest of all life.
- Feeding: breast milk alone for the first 6 months, then add soft home foods and keep breastfeeding.
- Warmth: babies lose heat quickly. Skin-to-skin contact and dry clothes keep them warm.
- Cord and skin care: keep the cord stump clean and dry.
- Jaundice: yellow skin in the first days; common, but a nurse checks it.
- Infections and vaccines: follow the schedule.
- Safe sleep: on the back, on a firm bed, nothing loose near the face.
- Danger signs: not feeding, fast or hard breathing, fits, very sleepy, cold or hot to touch. Go for help at once.
Early childhood (1 to 6 years)
Toddlers and pre-school children walk, climb, touch and put things in the mouth. They learn quickly but do not understand danger.
- Accidents are the biggest risk: burns and scalds, falls, drowning, poisoning from medicines or cleaners, choking on small objects, road injuries.
- Prevention: keep hot and sharp things high, lock medicines and cleaners, use stair gates, watch near water, keep small objects away.
- Infections: colds, diarrhoea, ear and chest infections. Wash hands and keep vaccines up to date.
- Food: balanced meals prevent underweight and anaemia. Growth is checked on a chart.
- Development: talk, play and read with the child; watch speech and movement. Toilet training comes at the child's own pace.
School age (6 to 12 years)
Children spend most of the day at school and play more with friends.
- Teeth: tooth decay is very common. Brush twice a day, cut down sweets, visit the dentist.
- Eyes: poor eyesight can look like poor study. Do a simple vision test.
- Weight: both underweight and overweight matter. Healthy food and an hour of play a day help.
- Injuries and road safety: cross at safe places, wear a helmet on a bike.
- Infections: they spread in class. Hand washing and staying home when sick help.
- Mind: bullying, stress, trouble learning and sleep. Listen and tell the teacher or parent.
Adolescence (12 to 18 years)
Adolescence is the bridge between child and adult. The body changes in puberty, and feelings change too.
- Growth spurt and nutrition: more food is needed. Anaemia (low iron) is common, especially in girls: eat green leaves, pulses, jaggery, and take iron tablets if advised.
- Sleep: 8 to 10 hours. Late-night screens steal sleep.
- Mind and feelings: mood swings are normal, but long sadness, fear or self-harm talk needs help.
- Risks: tobacco, alcohol and drugs, unsafe driving, bullying online.
- Puberty and reproductive health: correct, respectful information and privacy.
- Nursing: speak respectfully, keep privacy and let the teenager take part in decisions.
Try it
Try it: Walk through your home at the height of a 2-year-old (crouch down). Find three things a toddler could reach that are not safe: a hot drink, a medicine, a cleaner. Then lift or lock them. In the 3D, watch the hot pot and medicine rise to the high shelf in step 3.
Key formulas and definitions
- Infant: milk + warmth + safe sleep + vaccines
- Early childhood: accidents + infections + food + play
- School age: teeth + eyes + weight + road safety + mind
- Adolescence: growth + iron + sleep + mood + risks
- Exclusive breastfeeding = first 6 months
Worked examples
1. A 2-year-old drank a cleaning liquid kept under the sink. Which stage and which risk, and how to prevent it?
Early childhood, poisoning. Keep cleaners and medicines high or locked, in their own bottles.
2. A 9-year-old copies slowly from the board and squints. What should the nurse suggest?
A vision test at school or an eye clinic. Poor eyesight can look like poor learning.
3. A 15-year-old girl is tired and pale. Which nutrient problem is likely, and what helps?
Anaemia from low iron. Eat green leaves, pulses and jaggery, take iron tablets if advised, and get checked.
Common mistakes
- Putting a baby to sleep on the stomach. Back is safe.
- Leaving a toddler alone near water or a stove "for a minute".
- Thinking poor marks are laziness when the child may not see the board.
- Dismissing a teenager's long sadness as a phase.