Seeing a baby make its first moves is a magical time. It marks the beginning of their independence. And it’s something that is often tracked using developmental milestones - but are they actually more problematic than they are useful? India Rakusen speaks to Professor Karen Adolph who shares her problems with milestones and discusses the cultural expectations of early development. She also hears from Dr Vanessa Cavallera from the World Health Organisation about the work they’re doing to update their 2006 milestone graph and the future of infant development.Presented by India Rakusen
Producer: Georgia Arundell
Series Producer: Ellie Sans
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and ESKA
Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-KingA Listen production for BBC Radio 4

24. Attachment

In this new look at the beginnings of life we tell the story of a child from fertilisation to first birthday through the lens of society, history, and science.