The life cycle of a family goes through well recognized developmental stages, each of which causes some disruption. At certain stages, preventive intervention by the family physician would be most fruitful. The transition to marriage is a case in point. Knowing the tasks of this stage can help the family physician anticipate any problems, particularly ones which may affect health. Research into the effects of education for marriage has shown that such education helps couples resolve conflicts constructively. Research is now focusing on the next stage of family development: the birth of the first child.