This issue of the Future of Children focuses on the first years of life starting with in utero experiences. Though a few previous issues have examined programs and services directed to the youngest children and their parents (home visiting programs, universal postnatal programs), none have taken a broader or more comprehensive look at the prenatal to age three period or, “Three Trimesters to Three Years.” These phrases signal the premise that prenatal experiences are part and parcel of the postnatal experience of mothers and their babies; in fact, the postnatal period is sometimes referred to as the fourth trimester, a way to highlight the fact that after a child’s birth, mothers themselves need continuing services and screening, rather than a somewhat myopic focus on the newborn alone. The title of this issue, “Three Trimesters to Three Years,” highlights continuity in development, the continuing intersection of mother and baby, and the rapid growth that occurs from conception to three years of age.
