Have you ever noticed how fast your kids are growing? I do, each and everyday especially my youngest daughter who seems to be growing so fast. What influences the growth? Is your child growing normally? These are some of the questions that will be addressed below.
At birth
A newborn’s size right after birth is based partly on genetics. Other factors that can influence his size are the mother’s weight where a heavy woman tends to have a bigger baby, weight gain during pregnancy where a low weight gain produces a smaller baby and the mother’s health where a diabetic mom will often have a bigger baby.
Toddlers
The baby’s birth size and his genetic programming will determine the baby’s growth rate. A small newborn will grow faster in the first two years if he is programmed to be a big child.
Growing up
A child will have certain periods of growth spurts where he will gain weight and also grow taller. It is difficult to monitor when the growth spurt is as he can shoot up one month and stop the next month. A hormone that triggers the growth is called the human growth hormone which is produced during the day but released during sleep time.
The growth spurt for girls is between 10 and 11 years old until about 15 years old. For boys, the growth spurt is between 12 and 13 years old until about age 17. A girl will normally stop growing after about three years when she had her first period. On the other hand, a boy will continue to grow throughout his teenage years.
Below are some signs to watch out for that may signal something is wrong with your child’s growth:
• His height seems abnormal compared to the parents or other siblings
• His weight gain is more drastic compared to the increase in height
• He is not within the normal growth average
• The puberty either comes very early or very late
photo credit: nattu