What it means
Most often given to parents at well-child visits: what the child will soon be able to do and how to keep them safe. For example, before a baby starts rolling over, parents are taught never to leave the baby alone on a changing table; before a toddler starts climbing, they learn to anchor furniture and lock up medicines. It is also used before surgery, at diagnosis and near the end of life.
For the nurse
Match the guidance to the child's next stage: safe sleep and car seats for infants, poisoning and drowning prevention for toddlers, and safety around roads, bikes and the internet for school-age children.
Related terms
health promotion
Helping people take actions that keep them well and improve their health.
primary prevention
Actions taken to stop a disease or injury from happening in the first place.
growth and development
The changes in body size (growth) and in skills and abilities (development) that happen across a person's life.
developmental stage
A period of life, such as infancy or adolescence, with its own typical abilities, needs and tasks.