Understanding your child's changing and emerging growth and development is an important part of parenting. As infants and children progress through a series of growth stages, they may encounter physical and emotional challenges and some relatively common problems during these years.

Growth and development includes not only the physical changes that will occur from infancy to adolescence, but also some of the changes in emotions, personality, behavior, thinking, and speech that children develop as they begin to understand and interact with the world around them.

Keeping your child healthy with physical care and emotional support is a part of health maintenance. Topics in health maintenance include ways to promote healthy lifestyles in daily activities such as play and sleep, and also ensure your child receives proper dental care, immunizations, and discipline.

As a child grows from infancy through adolescence, it is important to promote good health throughout some of the common problems of development. From diaper rash in babies, to toilet training in young children, health promotion topics also include learning disabilities and bedwetting for the school-aged child, and eating disorders and substance abuse for the adolescent.