From the very first steps into complementary feeding, it is important not only to choose fresh and natural ingredients, but also to share meal preparation and spend time together at the table. This helps reduce the child's learning curve and promotes family harmony and well being.

From early childhood, nourishment has not only a biological value, but also a psychological, social and cultural one. As soon as a baby is born, they are placed on the mother's chest to encourage attachment and support the start of breastfeeding. In this way, the baby receives the best possible nourishment and the deep bond between mother and child, known as bonding, is strengthened. As the months go by, moments related to breastfeeding and first solid foods continue to play a fundamental role in relationships and in psycho physical development. Even during intrauterine life, the baby experiences and gradually refines their ability to feed and swallow.

Sleep plays a crucial role in activating the physiological processes and mechanisms that are essential for harmonious growth and the development of a child's abilities. Ensuring the right conditions for safe and restful sleep is therefore fundamental to promoting overall well being.

There is a direct correlation between the number of hours a child sleeps and bone growth. Through specific mechanisms, such as the release of somatotropin, a hormone that signals cells to multiply, bones lengthen and the skeletal structure expands. This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland, located at the base of the skull, which is most active during sleep.

From the very first moments of a baby's life, the staff at the birth centre carry out a rapid assessment of the newborn's health conditions. Heart rate and breathing, muscle tone, reflexes and skin colour are the five parameters evaluated to assign the baby a score from 0 to 10, known as the Apgar score. Apgar is an acronym for Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Respiration, referring to skin colour, heart rate, response to stimulation, muscle tone and breathing.

Caring for a baby does not simply mean feeding them properly, watching over their health or ensuring the best conditions for healthy sleep. It means filling them with attention, cuddles and hugs, and responding to their needs with awareness. It also means creating a welcoming and serene family environment in which the baby can feel protected and safe. Through small yet fundamental daily gestures, parents can do a great deal to support their baby's well being and psycho physical development.

In the first weeks of life, nothing makes a baby feel more comfortable than a hug. Feeling held and embraced in their mother's arms, recognising her scent, heartbeat and voice, recalls the pleasant sensations experienced in the womb. Now, as the baby adapts to their new life and learns to discover themselves and the world around them, they need their parents more than ever.

The first years of a child's life are a whirlwind of discoveries and achievements. From the very moment they come into the world and seem to do little more than sleep, eat, cry or look around with wide eyed wonder, the child grows stronger, sharpens their senses, completes the development of an still immature nervous system and absorbs information about the world around them. They are nourished by the love of those who care for them, learn to interact with objects and people, to move and to communicate. Now more than ever, mothers and fathers are a fundamental point of reference.

According to Thomas Berry Brazelton, paediatrician and child psychiatrist, "the task of parents is not to compare their newborn's characteristics with those of another child, but to observe, listen to and support the unique lifestyle of their own child".

The choice and correct use of early childhood products play an important role in supporting the child's physical and cognitive development and in promoting their well being. Car seats, carrycots and nursery furniture are usually chosen well in advance, based on advice from friends and retailers but, paradoxically, without the real end user ever being consulted.

The range of early childhood products is extremely wide and varied, designed to meet different tastes and the many functional needs of those who will care for the child. But are parents truly aware of the impact these products can have on their child's physical and psychological development?