Health problems during infancy

Infancy is a period of remarkable growth and development. ­ Between 1 month and 12 months of age the infant will undergo major changes in physical development. Motor skills, cognition and social skills develop at a rapid pace during this period. The roles of nature and nurture contribute to the growth and development of the infant in both positive and negative ways. Nature, or heredity, has significant influence on general growth and development correlating around related family size and patterns of maturation. Nurture, or the environment, including diet, again plays a significant role for the developing infant. The infant remains dependent on adults to identify health needs and detect health problems. ­ This chapter will focus on the following four significant areas that influence the growth and development of the infant: nutrition, skin (and specifically atopic eczema), sleep and immunisation. These topics have been identified as ­ significant because problems in these areas can impair the growth and development of the infant both in the short term and long term into later life