Credits and conditions of use of From Tiny Tot to Toddler

Dear Parents,

Whether you’re expecting your first child or growing your family, you now have an invaluable resource in your hands—the latest edition of From Tiny Tot to Toddler. The guide has been a trusted resource for Québec families since 1977. Over the decades, it has evolved to reflect changes in society and advances in knowledge. It has helped generations of parents better understand the different stages of pregnancy and the needs of their children. Today, it remains an essential reference and a true Québec tradition.

Published since 2000 by Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), the guide contains everything you need to know to prepare for your child’s arrival and to support them as they grow. Available online and in print, From Tiny Tot to Toddler: A practical guide for parents from pregnancy to age two helps you navigate step-by-step on your unique journey as a parent, a role you may be discovering for the first time. Each new edition of the guide is enriched with the latest information on pregnancy, childbirth, and child health from birth to age two.

With its detailed, up-to-date content, From Tiny Tot to Toddler is a reflection of our collective commitment to supporting the health, well-being, and confidence of Québec families. The Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux of Québec commends the INSPQ and its partners for their outstanding work. It is often said that there’s no instruction manual for being a parent, but in Québec, we’re fortunate to have From Tiny Tot to Toddler. Happy reading! We wish you all the best on this wonderful adventure.

Sonia Bélanger
Ministre responsable des Aînés et des Proches aidants
Ministre responsable des Services sociaux
Ministre déléguée à la Santé
Ministre responsable de la région des Laurentides

The arrival of a baby is a delightful and transformative milestone for all parents. Whether it’s your first child or not, you’ll have questions to deal with, and decisions to make for the well-being of you and your baby.

From Tiny Tot to Toddler has been an invaluable source of information for over 40 years. It’s provided free of charge in print and online to all new and future parents in Québec.

This guide reflects the reality of families like yours. It will help you develop a sense of competence, independence, and self-confidence. It contains clear, accurate information based on science and the experience of healthcare professionals. And since being a parent isn’t always easy, you’ll also find encouragement, examples, and helpful tips.

It’s a privilege for Institut national de santé publique du Québec to produce this essential guide. We hope it will provide you with answers and reassurance as you embark on your new adventure.

Happy reading!

Pierre-Gerlier Forest
Président-directeur général, Institut national de santé publique du Québec

Nicole Doré and Danielle Le Hénaff, authors of the original text, wrote, updated, and developed Mieux vivre avec son enfant de la naissance à deux ans from 1977 to 2001.

Coauthors
Nicole April, Chantale Audet, Emilie Audy, François Beaudoin, Céline Belhumeur, Marie‑Ève Bergeron‑Gaudin, Luce Bordeleau, Marie‑Andrée Bossé, Nicole Boulianne, Amélie Bourret, Lise Brassard, Catherine Chouinard, Aurore Côté, Gabrielle Désilets, Cécile Fortin, Denis Gauvin, Christian Godin, Édith Guilbert, Julie Guimond, Élise Jalbert‑Arsenault, Julie Laforest, Mélissa Lafrenière, Danielle Landry, Josée Laroche, Michel Lavoie, Patrick Levallois, Chantal Lévesque, Sylvie Lévesque, Andréane Melançon, Jean‑Claude Mercier, Caroline Morin, Christina Morin, Réal Morin, Laurie Plamondon, Julie Poissant, Faisca Richer, Hélène Rousseau, Marie‑Josée Santerre, Isabel Thibault, Lucie Thibodeau, Diane Tousignant, Josée Trahan, Lucie Tremblay, Jean‑Jacques Turcotte, Mylène Turcotte, Pascale Turcotte, Hélène Valentini, Annie Vallée, Raymond Villeneuve.

Translation
Anglocom

Main banner photo
Larisa Linca Photographie

Graphic design and computer graphics
Sophie Charest
Florencia Torres

Photo calibration
Atelier Photosynthèse

Printing 
TC Transcontinental

Web Adaptation 
Delphine Descamps (INSPQ)
Yukako Ito (INSPQ)
Sigmund
Evolving web

The list of people and organizations that make this guide possible gets longer each year. Your individual contributions are vital to this collective work—thank you. Here’s a look at everyone who’s contributed to From Tiny Tot to Toddler over the past 5 years.

Individuals
Stephani Arulthas, Emilie Beaulieu, Olivier Bellefleur, Pascal Bédard, Isabelle Bilodeau, Caroline Bouchard, Isabelle Boucoiran, Annick Boulais, Mélanie Boulet, Nicholas Brousseau, Guillaume Burigusa, Évelyne Cambron‑Goulet, Catherine Caron, Marianne Chbat, Christiane Charette, Élisabeth Codsi, Valérie Cortin, Dominique Cousineau, Geneviève Deschênes, Marie-Eve Deschênes, Gaston De Serres, Réjean Dion, Audrey Dion‑Forest, Jean‑Philippe Drolet, Claudia Fournier, Mylène Francoeur, Léa Gamache, Amélie Gauvin, Anne Gosselin‑Brisson, Marie‑Hélène Guay, Caroline Huot, Alejandra Irace‑Cima, Yun Jen, Yolaine Labbé, Caroline Laberge, Jessica Lara‑Carrasco, Andréanne Lefort, Julie Maheu, Linda Massé, Manon Méthot, Annie Montreuil, Sébastien Morency, Anne‑Sophie Morisset, Élizabeth Parenteau, Lina Perron, Stéphane Perron, Nancy Pilote, Patrick Poulin, Marie‑Claude Quintal, Ghislaine Reid, Marie‑Claude Roberge, Elizabeth Robinson, Élody Ross‑Lévesque, Anne‑Marie Rouillier, Stéphanie‑May Rutchat, Stéphanie Thibault, Michèle Tremblay, Mylène Trottier, Nathalie Trottier, Gisèle Trudeau, Mathieu Valcke, Louise Valiquette, Isabelle Veilleux, Gaëlle Vekemans, Manu Volaco, Nancy Wassef.

Groups
The regional coordinators in charge of distributing From Tiny Tot to Toddler at the Directions de santé publique of the CISSS and the CIUSSS: Thank you for your unconditional support; without you the guide would not make its way into the hands of Québec parents.

Organizations
Professionals from the following organizations contribute significantly to updating the content of the guide: Alima, Association des parents adoptants du Québec, Association québécoise des personnes de petite taille, Health Canada, Info-Santé, LGBT+ Family Coalition, Lifesaving Society, L’Étoile de Pacho, Ministère de la Famille, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, Québec Poison Control Centre, Préma-Québec, Santé Québec, Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec.

Parents
Throughout the year, we get feedback from parents who take the time to write to us. Parents reread and comment on our texts and participate in our working groups. We’d like to thank each and every one of them for helping us improve the guide, meet the needs of parents, and stay up to date with their concerns.

Parents-photographers
We also wish to thank all the other parent-photographers whose pictures appear in the guide. Thank you for letting us into your day-to-day life by sending us your colourful pictures. We greatly appreciate your generosity.

This publication is made possible through the financial contribution of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.

Reproduction for private study or research purposes is authorized under section 29 of the Copyright Act. Any other use must be authorized by the Government of Québec, which holds the exclusive intellectual property rights for this document. Authorization may be obtained by submitting a request to the following address: [email protected].

Information contained in the document may be cited provided that the source is mentioned.

Doré, Nicole; Le Hénaff, Danielle. From Tiny Tot to Toddler: A practical guide for parents from pregnancy to age two. Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 2026, 824 pages..

The content of the guide is for information purposes only. The information is not necessarily adapted to your specific situation.

This guide is not intended in any way to replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, or a recommendation of reventive or curative treatment. If you are unsure, consult your health professional or Info-Santé (8-1-1). For emergencies, call 9-1-1.

The information in this guide is based on the knowledge available at the time of printing. Since knowledge is constantly evolving, it is possible that certain sections of the guide do not reflect the latest changes.

The information published on the website is identical to that published in the printed guide. However, certain sections may be updated online before the next guide goes to print.

The instructions in this guide may not be suitable for situations outside Québec.

Several websites are suggested in the guide as additional resources on the subjects discussed. The sites are managed by third parties, and the INSPQ is not responsible for their content.

The From Tiny Tot to Toddler guide is a collective work to which many professionals have contributed. The Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), its managers, administrators, employees, physicians, and the contributors to the guide are not responsible for how the information in the guide is consulted or used. Therefore, they cannot be held liable for the texts or any other information conveyed through the guide.