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Children are not just miniature adults, but individuals with bodies and minds that grow at an amazing rate.

In the first year of life, a newborn may grow from 7 pounds and 20 inches tall into a toddler whose weight has increased by 200% and length by 50%.

And, in that same year, that same toddler has learned to communicate, walk, eat, drink, and play.

Children might not grow and develop as quickly as this through the rest of childhood. But they still continue to change, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Through it all, from infancy to the teen years, parents must make sure this child gets regular checkups and is cared for when sick or hurt.

Pediatricians and children's health care providers care for children of all ages. They have the expertise to help parents give their children the right start to a healthy life. Pediatricians and nurse practitioners also give guidance to families, become health consultants to child care programs, and are advocates for quality child care.