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Tara L. Kuther

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“You’re such a big girl!” the pediatric nurse exclaimed as she weighed baby Regina. Regina’s mother marveled at how much her daughter had grown during the first 6 months of her lif—she had more than doubled her weight. Over 6 months, Regina has transformed from a newborn unable to raise her head into a baby who can sit up on her own. Her mother told the nurse, “She seems to like spending time on all fours. Maybe she’s practicing and getting ready to crawl.” The nurse smiled and said, “Start thinking about babyproofing your home because Regina will be crawling before you know it!” In the next few months, Regina will crawl, pull herself up to stand, and eventually walk. Babies grow and change very quickly. In this chapter, we explore the physical changes that occur in a child’s first 2 years of life. These first years are collectively called the developmental stage of infancy and toddlerhood. The term toddler refers to toddling, the unsteady gait of babies who are just learning to walk. During this stage, infants and toddlers experience advances in growth, perceptual capacities, and motor skills that enable them to interact with their world and learn in new ways.