Early Childhood

After completing this section of the chapter, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

♦ Define early childhood

♦ Describe the growth and development of early childhood

♦ Discuss the common health problems of early childhood

Early childhood is considered the period of 18 months through 5 years of age. During this time, the child passes through the stages of toddler (i.e., 18 months to 3 years) and preschooler (i.e., 3 to 5 years). There are many changes as the child moves from infancy through the toddler and preschool years. The major achievements are the de­velopment and refinement of locomotion and language, which take place as children progress from dependence to independence.¹²,²¹