Selected problems of infancy and childhood

The 1st year of life is marked by the highest rate of growth and development. The brain doubles in size in the 1st year of life and increases in size by another 15 % in the 2nd year. Developmental skills are acquired at a very high rate in infancy so that even minor disruptions in development at this stage can have serious long-term implications [1]. The goal of developmental surveillance in infancy is early identification of any deviations or disruptions to the normal growth and developmental trajectories. Identification should then lead to developmental and medical evaluation. Early intervention in children has been shown to improve functional outcomes for children with developmental delays [2].