Physical development of infant is best described as

• A. Rapid growth; grow more in the first year of life than at any other time.
• B. Slow growth; growth is gradual over several years.
• C. Growth is the same across the first years.
• D. Only brain growth occurs in the first year.

Answer: (A)

Infant physical development happens at a rapid pace in the first year. Babies gain weight quickly—typically doubling their birth weight by about four to six months and tripling it by the end of the first year—while their length increases by about half. This fast growth makes the first year the peak period for physical development, and growth slows somewhat after that. Brain development is a major part of this time, but growth also occurs across other body systems, not just the brain. So describing the infant’s physical development as rapid growth occurring mainly in the first year best captures the pattern.