Stage

Infancy

Infancy (0–12 months) is a period of rapid development where responsive caregiving, sleep foundations, feeding, safety, and early learning environments can have outsized impact. This page provides an orientation to the stage and links into the topics library as it grows.

0–12 months Sleep & feeding Responsive caregiving Safety

Start here

What matters most

Responsive caregiving Consistent, attuned responses support early regulation and security.

Sleep foundations Safe sleep practices and predictable routines support both infant and caregiver wellbeing.

Feeding and nutrition Follow clinician guidance; focus on nourishment, responsiveness, and growth monitoring.

Safety and injury prevention Reduce avoidable risk through safe sleep, safe environments, and car seat safety.

Early learning through interaction Language exposure, play, and warm engagement build foundational skills.

Practical principle

In infancy, consistency beats complexity. A small set of predictable, supportive routines is more valuable than “perfect” tactics.

Find guidance fast

Browse or request

If you have a specific question (sleep, feeding, screen exposure, safety), go to Topics. If you don’t see it yet, request it.

Browse topics Request an infancy topic

Prefer to navigate by stage? Return to the Development Timeline.

Common topics for this stage

What we’re building

Safe sleep basics (risk reduction + practical routines)
Feeding and responsive feeding (overview + practical guidance)
Infant crying and soothing strategies (evidence-based summary)
Attachment and responsive caregiving
Injury prevention and home safety
Early language exposure and play

Each topic will include an evidence summary, key findings, and citations with limitations noted.

Next stage

Toddlerhood

As toddlers develop, routines, language growth, play, and self-regulation become central.

Go to Toddlerhood stage

Looking back? See Prenatal.