Care Stages: How Does My Baby Grow? 0 to 1 year

Did you realize that babies can triple their weight in the first year of life? Not surprisingly, this rapid physical growth is accompanied by other major developmental changes, all of which require parents and caregivers to roll with the punches and adapt to evolving needs. It's common for parents to feel as if they finally have gotten the hang of one phase just in time for baby to move on to the next.

In the first year of life, here are the major developments that parents and caregivers will face:

• Feeding

For bottle-feeding, expressed breast milk or formula must be handled carefully (warmed to the proper temperature to avoid scalding, kept track of to avoid spoilage dates on fresh or frozen expressed breast milk), as should the introduction of, and experimentation with, solid foods around 6 months (observe reactions to each food you introduce to make sure no food allergies are developing, make sure your child can't choke on the food you give him, etc.).

• Sleeping

Sleep will be disorganized in early infancy but eventually will become more predictable, with your child taking about two to three naps during the day -- with encouragement. Babies will need help learning how to fall asleep, which can be challenging if they are used to the comfort of nursing to sleep.

• Communication

Over time, babies produce different cries to indicate varied needs, such as hunger or discomfort. Parents and caregivers must learn to identify the cries and respond accordingly, and also learn coping strategies if the baby has colic. With older babies, consider sign language to help communicate with baby.

• Cognition and emotion

As babies become more aware of their surroundings during the first year, they learn about object permanence -- understanding that people and objects exist even if out of immediate sight -- and develop separation anxiety. Some babies have a harder time than others separating, and caregivers will need to be patient in coping with tears, and creative in distracting baby from the departing parent.

• Locomotion

During the first year, babies learn to roll, then crawl, then cruise, then possibly walk early. These amazing changes in locomotion require vigilance to keep baby safe.

• The bottom line

Patience and flexibility will be important during these rapid phases of growth and developmental coordination. Parents may want to identify a caregiver who is able to handle the unpredictable, disorganized "boot camp" days of newborn care, as well as the later months where parents seek to develop a daily nap and feeding routine for baby.

Christine Koh is a music and brain scientist turned publisher, designer, and freelance writer/editor. She is the editor of BostonMamas.com and the artist behind PoshPeacock.com.