How does nutrition impact early childhood development?

Proper nutrition supports brain development, strengthens immunity, and promotes healthy physical growth, helping reduce the risk of future developmental and health issues.

At what age should parents be concerned about developmental delay?

Parents should seek medical advice if a child fails to achieve major developmental milestones at the expected age. Consulting a pediatrician or child development expert is recommended.

Early Childhood Development in India (0–6 Years): Growth, Milestones, Nutrition & WHO Guidelines

Q: What does early childhood development mean?

Early childhood development refers to the physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and language development of children from birth up to approximately eight years of age.

Q: What is the importance of early childhood development?

Early childhood development lays the foundation for lifelong health, learning ability, emotional well-being, and social skills, influencing a child’s future academic and personal success.

Q: What are the key spheres of early childhood development?

The key spheres include physiological and motor development, cognitive development, social and emotional development, and language and communication acquisition.

Last Updated on January 23, 2026 by Healthy Home

Reviewed by Public Health Personnel (MPH), with experience in maternal and child health programs.

Medical Disclaimer : This information is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. For personalized guidance, consult a qualified healthcare provider. This article was reviewed by a Public Health Expert (MPH) with experience in maternal, infant and child health programs aligned with WHO and UNICEF frameworks.

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Early Childhood development in India: Every child requires early childhood age to develop their cognitive abilities and social bonds as well as their physical attributes.

Table Of Contents

Introduction
Quick Summary: Early Childhood Development in India (0–6 Years)
What Is Early Childhood development (ECD)?
The significance of Early Childhood Development
Early childhood developmental Milestones
WHO and UNICEF Guidelines to Early Childhood Development
FAQs:

Introduction

The period of early childhood is the most crucial stage of human development. The brain of a child grows very fast during the period of birth to six years, which forms the basis of physical wellbeing, learning capacity, emotional stability and social interactions. In India, the early childhood development (ECD) can be enhanced with the help of family care, Anganwadi services, ICDS programs and national projects including POSHAN Abhiyaan.

Knowledge about developmental milestones will enable parents to know when a child is developing normally and when he or she might require professional assistance.

Quick Summary: Early Childhood Development in India (0–6 Years)

The most crucial stage in child development is the early childhood (06 years). At this age, there is a rapid development of the brain, which establishes the foundation to a lifetime of health, academic capabilities, emotional state and interpersonal capabilities.
Family care, Anganwadi services, ICDS and POSHAN Abhiyaan are the programs that help in the development of early childhood in India. Keeping track of developmental milestones achieved i.e. movement, speech, vision, hearing and socialization will assist parents and caregivers in understanding whether a child is developing as per expectations.
Healthy development pillars are good nutrition, responsive care giving, play-based learning and early stimulation. When a child exhibits delayed milestones, they can be effectively approached at an early age with the help of a skilled medical specialist to assist them in dealing with their problems in time and achieving improved results.

What Is Early Childhood development (ECD)?

Early childhood development can be defined as the process of physical, cognitive, emotional, social and language development of children through birth up to approximately eight years of age. WHO and UNICEF state that the early years have a considerable impact on lifelong health and educational performance as well as productivity.

The significance of Early Childhood Development

Strong ECD ensures:

Healthy brain and physical development.
Improved school preparedness and school performance.
Better emotional skills and social skills.
Increased chances of avoiding developmental delays.
An improved general health in life.

Early childhood developmental Milestones

Milestones are skills that majority of children attain at a specific age. Small variations are normal.

Gross Motor Development

Age	Expected Milestones
2 months	Social smile, some head control
4 months	Holds head steadily
9 months	Sits without support
12 months	Crawls or stands with support
15 months	Walks independently
18 months	Walks well, pulls toys while walking
24 months	Climbs up and down stairs with help
3 years	Climbs stairs alternating feet

Fine Motor Development

Age	Expected Milestones
6 months	Grasps objects like a rattle
9 months	Transfers objects between hands
12 months	Pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger)
15 months	Puts objects into containers
18 months	Scribbles spontaneously
24 months	Feeds self using spoon or hands

Speech and Language Development

Age	Expected Milestones
2 months	Coos and squeals
4 months	Laughs and vocalizes
6 months	Babbles sounds like “ba”, “pa”, “ma”
9 months	Says simple words like mama, baba
12 months	Says one meaningful word
18 months	Uses 5–10 words
24 months	Combines two words (e.g., “mama milk”)
3 years	Speaks simple sentences

Hearing Development

2 months: Sensitive to sounds
4 months: Reacts to the voice of the mother.
6 months: Turns head toward sounds.
9 months: Responds to own name

Vision Development

2 months: Makes eye contact
4 months: Chasing moving objects.
6 months: Head is turned towards visual stimuli.
9 months: Does not go through obstacles.
15 months: Putting of small objects into a container.

Cognitive Development

2 months: Social smile
6 months: Reaches for objects
9 months: Responds to name
12 months: Searching concealed objects.
15 months: Constants to interesting objects.
18 months: Recreates domestic actions.
24 months of age: Parallel play.
3 years: Starts playing fantasy.

Socially and Emotional Development

2 months: Social smile
6 months: Responds to caregivers.
9 months: Enjoys peek-a-boo
12 months: Makes the difference between known and unknown faces.
15 months: copying some gesture such as bye-bye or namaste.
24 months: Playing with other children parallel

Social and emotional develop in childrenment

Red Flags for Developmental Delay

They are the general warning signs. Some are mentioned below:

Delayed achievement of milestones such as walking or speaking etc.
Lack of eye contact/social interaction.
Problem with sound audition or listening.
Lack of coordination/muscle problems.
The small attention span or excessive irritability.

Early intervention and screening have great positive effects.

Developmental delay in children and red flags

Parental involvement in the development of children in early childhood

The role of parents in ECD is the most significant as they:

Social protection and attentiveness.
Making nutritious food balance.
Promoting play based learning.
Discussing, reading and singing to children.
Providing a safe and stimulating homely atmosphere.

Nutrition in Early Brain Development

Healthy eating helps the brain to grow, improves the immune system and physical development. Those nutrients that are necessary include:

Proteins
Iron
Iodine
Zinc
Omega-3 fatty acids

Supplementary nutrition in early childhood is offered through the government programs such as ICDS and Anganwadi services.

Early brain development in children and role of nutrtion

WHO and UNICEF Guidelines to Early Childhood Development

WHO puts special focus on nurturing care by:

Good health
Adequate nutrition
Responsive caregiving
Learning opportunities at an early age.
Safety and security

These are guidelines that make sense to the Indian public health programs.

FAQs:

Q1. What does early childhood development mean?

Early childhood development can be defined as the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and language development of children aged between birth and approximately eight years.

Q2. So what is the importance of early childhood development?

It lays the basis of lifelong health, ability to learn, emotional and social skills.

Q3. What are the key spheres of early childhood development?

Physiological and motor development. Cognitive development Social and emotional-development. Language and communication acquisition.

Q4. What will nutrition do to early childhood development?

Good nutrition aids in the growth of the brain, immunity and good physical growth which will reduce future developmental issues.

Q5. How do the parents contribute to ECD?

Parents offer emotional support, nutrition, stimulation, safety and learning that is required to enhance healthy development.

Q6. At what age do parents cause concern over developmental delay?

In case a child fails to achieve major milestones, parents ought to consult a pediatrician or an expert.

Related Health Articles from Healthy Home

Early Childhood Development – Learn about key stages, milestones, and factors influencing a child’s growth in this guide on Early Childhood Development
Global Developmental Delay – Understand causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and early intervention strategies for Global Developmental Delay in Children
What Makes Humans Unique – Explore the biological, cognitive, and emotional traits that define humanity in Why a Human Child Is So Unique and What Makes Us Human
Infancy to Toddler Development – A comprehensive overview of physical, emotional, and cognitive changes from birth to toddlerhood in Precious Infancy to Toddler Stage
Food Supplementation for Growth & Nutrition – Learn how nutritional supplementation supports maternal and child health through Food Supplementation and Its Importance

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About the Author – “Mr. Bibhu Ranjan Mund”, Master in Public Health (MPH) from IIHMR University, Jaipur (Rajasthan) has experience of 18 years in Public Health activities. Through “Healthy Home”, we share the evidence & experienced based health & wellness guides with solutions for every day well-being.

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