ABSTRACT
Childhood is a stage of life characterised by rapid development physically, psychologically and socially, with specific milestones to be achieved to demonstrate life skills appropriate for the child's age. Childhood health is understood not just in physical health terms but also in social and emotional terms, and it is the confluence of these that give both the balance and potential a child needs for their health and wellbeing. The concepts of 'normative' or non-normative' development are often applied to get a sense of whether or not the child is in a 'healthy or desirable state for someone to be in at a given age'. Children's experience of illness will vary according to their age, understanding of the nature of their illness, the severity and limitations of their illness, the medical responses to their condition, and the reactions of adults and family around them.
