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20 Jan 2026

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Understanding Growth and Development in Health and Social Care

freya

@freya_ntlo

Understanding how humans grow and develop throughout their lives is... Show more

# Life Stanes
Infant (0-2 years)
Early childhood (3-8 years)
Addescence (9-18 years)
Young adulthood (19-45 years)
middle adulthood (46 year

Life Stages and Growth Patterns

Your life unfolds through six distinct stages, each with its own characteristics. These range from infancy $0-2 years$ through early childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and finally older adulthood $65+ years$ .

Growth during infancy can be surprisingly irregular, but don't worry - this is usually completely normal! Health visitors and midwives track this carefully using your red book and something called centile charts. These charts help them spot if anything needs attention.

During childhood, growth becomes more predictable with small, steady increases. Then comes adolescence - especially for boys - when growth spurts can make you feel like you're shooting up overnight! By young adulthood, this rapid growth finally slows down and stops.

Key Insight: Growth refers to measurable increases like head circumference, length, and weight, whilst development involves complex changes in your skills and abilities.

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Health & Social Care

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390

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20 Jan 2026

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1 page

Understanding Growth and Development in Health and Social Care

freya

@freya_ntlo

Understanding how humans grow and develop throughout their lives is fascinating and incredibly relevant to your own journey. From the moment you were born until you reach older age, your body and abilities follow predictable patterns that health professionals monitor... Show more

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Life Stages and Growth Patterns

Key Insight: Growth refers to measurable increases like head circumference, length, and weight, whilst development involves complex changes in your skills and abilities.