Health Library
The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.
Children's Health and Safety
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Growth and development milestones help you see how your child is doing compared with other children the same age. The milestones tell you what you should expect from your child in five areas: Physical growth Thinking and reasoning (cognitive...
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Ages 11 through 14 are often called early adolescence. These years are an exciting time of varied and rapid changes. Your child grows taller and stronger and also starts to feel and think in more mature ways. You may feel amazed as you watch your...
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A growth chart is a graph used to track a child's growth and development over time. At each of your child's well-child visits, the doctor will measure: Length (height). A baby's length is measured while lying down, from the top of the head to the...
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These are some things you can do to help your 1- to 2-year-old learn words and say simple sentences: Tell your child what you are doing. Say, "I am changing your diaper" and "I'm washing your face" when interacting with your child. Always speak...
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What is speech and language development? Speech and language are the skills we use to communicate with others. We form these skills during the first years of life. By age 6, most children learn the basics. Try to talk and read to your child often to boost these skills. What is the difference between speech and...
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Growth between the ages of 6 and 10 usually occurs in spurts but progresses at an overall steady pace. Most children gain an average of 7 lb (3 kg) and 2.5 in. (6 cm) each year. The loss of baby teeth and their replacement by permanent teeth is one of the most dramatic signs of physical development for this age...
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Around age 6, children begin to change the way they think about the world. They leave behind the preschooler's egocentric thinking and begin developing more mature ways of understanding. A typical first-grader is able to perform simple addition and subtraction, and he or she usually begins to read and write sentences...
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The home remains a child's most important sphere of influence during the early school years. It also becomes the base from which children explore relationships outside of the home. A child's increasing independence is tested, for example, by the first night spent away from home. The child returns home with a sense of...
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While most children have a large vocabulary—about 13,000 words—at age 6, they have limited ability to understand complicated language structures. From ages 6 to 10, children gradually begin to think in more complex ways. This growth helps them understand and use the nuances and subtleties of language. Children...
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Children between ages 6 and 10 years make major gains in muscle strength and coordination. Boys and girls are able to compete quite evenly at sports, because muscle development and coordination occur at about the same times for both sexes. Team sports are a good way for children to build both motor skills and...
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Every day, children ages 6 to 10 may face new challenges at home with their families and at school with their friends and teachers. At the end of one day, they may feel good about themselves. They have fun with their friends, have done well at...
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To build healthy self-esteem, all children need to feel that they can do at least one thing very well. Many times, though, a child's special talent is overlooked because it's not an area that is recognized at school or elsewhere. Parents can...
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Egocentric thinking is the normal tendency for a young child to see everything that happens as it relates to him- or herself. This is not selfishness. Young children are unable to understand different points of view. For example, a preschool child...
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Adolescence is a time of rapid growth in height and weight and of physical changes throughout the body. Most of these changes occur near the time of puberty, which in the United States and Canada usually begins for girls between the ages of 9 and 11, and for most boys between the ages of 9½ and 13. Breast buds—slight...
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Independence, individuality, identity, and self-esteem are buzzwords for early teen emotional and social development. Elementary school-age children have strong ties to their families and want to please their parents. The years 11 through 14 are a transition between childhood and adulthood. Appropriately, adolescents...
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Before the adolescent growth spurt, the strength of boys and girls is about the same. But afterward, males most often have the advantage. During these years of rapid physical growth, adolescents may be somewhat awkward or clumsy as they get used to longer limbs and bigger bodies. Their brains need time to adjust to the...
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By age 15, most girls have had their first menstrual period and have completed the rapid growth spurt that usually occurs during puberty. After the first period, teenage girls grow 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) to 3 in. (7.6 cm) on average. Other early changes of puberty, such as the growth of pubic hair and breasts, have also...
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By age 16, most teens are developing the ability to think abstractly, deal with several concepts at the same time, and imagine the future consequences of their actions. This type of thinking in a logical sequence continues to develop into adulthood. Also by age 16, teens can learn to process more complex problems, to...
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Older teens may seem mature at times, but they often will still have periods of childish behavior. Those who have not yet established a personal identity and sense of independence may try defining themselves through rebellious or difficult behavior. Teens learn about themselves through expanding their relationships...
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Speech and language development milestones relate to receptive language (the ability to understand words and sounds) and expressive language (the ability to use speech and gestures to communicate meaning). Receptive language skills are the first...
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Speech and language development milestones relate to receptive language (the ability to understand words and sounds) and expressive language (the ability to use speech and gestures to communicate meaning). Most 1-year-olds begin to understand the meanings of words. Their receptive language grows from understanding...
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Speech and language development milestones relate to receptive language (the ability to understand words and sounds) and expressive language (the ability to use speech and gestures to communicate meaning). A child's speech and language development becomes more advanced beginning around age 3 through age 5. Receptive...
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A child's failure to reach speech and language milestones as expected may be a "red flag," or warning, meaning a speech and language development problem. If your child does not reach developmental milestones on schedule, it does not necessarily mean there is a problem. But he or she should be evaluated by a health...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Your child's physical growth during the second year, although considerable, is less rapid than during the first year. In the second year, toddlers gain an average of 3 lb (1.4 kg) to 5 lb (2.3 kg) and grow an average of 3 in. (7.6 cm) to 5 in. (12.7 cm). Normal and expected physical growth requires adequate...
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The brain grows dramatically through the second year of life. Around 12 months, toddlers develop a new ability to remember experiences that occurred a few hours or even a day earlier. Toddlers often demonstrate this new ability by repeating a recalled experience, such as throwing a ball or stacking blocks, at a later...
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Toddlers form strong emotional attachments and often feel uneasy when they are separated from their loved ones. Around the same time, toddlers typically want to do things on their own or according to their own wishes. This sets the stage for conflict, confusion, and occasional breakdowns. Toddlers typically develop...
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Between 12 and 24 months of age, changes in the brain help your toddler learn and understand language. Most toddlers understand many more words than they are able to speak. For example, they are often able to point to their nose or eyes or other body parts when asked, even though they may not say the words for them...
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Learning to walk is the defining athletic accomplishment for children between 12 and 24 months of age. Those first steps are possible because of changes taking place within the brain and the spinal cord. Coordination and muscle control advance as the brain grows and matures. Most children start walking by 13 months of...
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Babies grow rapidly during the first year of life. Weight, length, and head circumference measurements are plotted on growth charts to monitor your baby's growth over time. Most babies: Grow about 3 in. (7.5 cm) to 4.5 in. (11 cm) in length by 4 months of age. Although growth may slow slightly between 4...
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Cognitive development is the process by which the brain develops the abilities to learn and remember. Cognitive development follows a typical pattern in the first 12 months of life. Between 1 and 2 months of age, infants become interested in new...
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Emotional and social growth during the first year of life can be both fascinating and exciting. As babies bond with their parents and caregivers, their interactions become more personal and engaging. Although your baby is unique and will exhibit his...
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Sensory and motor development is the gradual process by which a child gains use and coordination of the large muscles of the legs, trunk, and arms, and the smaller muscles of the hands. A baby begins to experience new awareness through sight, touch,...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...
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Children usually progress in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next. But each child grows and gains skills at his or her own pace. Some children may be advanced in one area, such as language, but behind in another, such as sensory and motor development. Milestones usually are...