Factors That Affect Physical Growth and Development

Here are some factors that could affect the growth and development of a child:

Heredity. This is the passing on of characteristics genetically from one generation to the next, or from
parents to children. Genetics plays a key role in physical development. Some children may be taller than
children their age, while others can be shorter, depending on the height of the parents. Some regions of a
country may have kids taller or heavier than children from other regions of the country. Heredity can play a big
role in differences in height, weight, aptitude,intelligence, and even predisposition to disease.

Environment. The environment in which a child is raised can affect physical growth and development.
The clean, healthy, and safe physical surroundings promote normal physical development. On the other hand,
disease, toxic stress,accidents,pandemics, exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and toxins in the environment all affect
a child's physical development negatively. Children who grew up exposed to air pollution may develop chronic
lung disease,pneumonia, or asthma. Those who
 [Link] presented earlier in this unit, boys grow up differently than girls,especially
during puberty. Temperaments and interests may also vary.

Exercise and overall health. Many children do not get enough [Link] for
running, climbing, playing ball, sports, yoga, dancing, and swimming all promote normal healthy
physical development. A stronger body can have a better chance of fighting off disease. The
more opportunities children have in order to develop both gross and fine motor skills, the faster
their capacity increases.
 Children who are not immunized against common diseases can get sick of these which are otherwise
preventable: polio, chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus,whooping cough,influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, and
hepatitis, among [Link] complications can also develop because of these, like heart [Link] illnesses
can also affect physical development, like asthma or cerebral palsy.

Neuroscience studies show that exercise has immediate, long-lasting,and protective benefits other than
developing healthy bones and muscles. It can also help develop one's focus, give better mood, better energy,
better attention,and protect the brain in the long run from different conditions, like depression,Alzheimer's
disease, or dementia. An immediate effect of exercise in one's brain is an increase of neurotransmitters, like
dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenalin,that increases one's mood, focus, and reaction time right after a single
workout or exercise.

Regular exercise as part of one's lifestyle actually changes the anatomy of the brain, its physiology, and
function as welI. Long-term protective effects of regular exercise on the brain is the increase in volume of the
hippocampus and the prefrontal area, which are the most susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases and normal
cognitive decline. This improves long-term memory and makes one's
brain stronger so that the diseases mentioned earlier will have a delay in actually
affecting the person.

Hormones. When our hormones function well, we would have normal growth and
development. However, when there are imbalances, when there are either too much
hormones or too little hormones in the hormone-secreting glands, there could be
growth defects, behavior problems, and any of the following diseases: Addison's disease
is associated with low blood pressure, low cognitive ability,anemia,and feeling physically
depleted. Cushing's syndrome is associated with high blood pressure, weight gain,
problems regulating blood sugar levels, skin lesions, or loss of bone density. The thyroid
hormone controls metabolism and other important functions of our body.
Hyperthyroidism is associated with panic attacks, anxiety,insomnia, unexplained weight
loss, and feeling of tiredness. Hypothyroidism is associated with weight gain, mental
fatigue, inability to concentrate,very low heart rate,slow growth of hair, and rough skin.
There are other diseases that are also caused by hormone [Link] in our
diet can be from seafoods and adding iodized salt for people who live in places that do
not have seafoods or for people who have allergies to [Link] are just a few
examples. Doctors may prescribe medicines or hormone replacement when necessary.
Nutrition. Breast milk is best for infants and leads to higher intelligence and
improved health. A balanced diet withot forgetting about fruits and vegetables would be
ideal for growing children. Malnutrition (wrong nutrition) is usually associated with
undernutrition as a result of deprivation of food, but the term also applies to
overnutrition due to overeating.

Undernutrition, a condition that develops when the body is deprived of much

needed vitamins and minerals, causes stunted growth, delays puberty,and undermines
brain development, but only to a limited extent. This can cause deficiency diseases that
affect growth and development. You may search about lack of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and
so on, affecting eyesight, skin, and bone development among others. A deficiency of
minerals also affects physical growth and development. For instance, a lack of calcium
can be associated with soft bones, a weakened immune system, or early tooth decay in
children.
Severe iodine deficiency in our diet can cause the enlargement of the thyroid
gland, a condition known as goiter and other thyroid problems. In children, this could
cause mental retardation. Endemic cretinism is found in mountainous areas or other
isolated areas where a pregnant woman can be severely iodine deficient because she
has no access to seafoods or to iodized salt.
 Fetal alcohol syndrome can be found in children born to mothers who were consuming alcohol while
pregnant. What about mothers who have been taking drugs while pregnant? Prenatal drug exposure, including
alcohol and nicotine, is linked to low birth weight.
 Overnutrition can be the result of overeating or the consumption of particular nutrients.
Overeating can eventually lead to obesity,diabetes, and/or heart [Link] children these
days consume too much fat and sugar and not enough fruits
and vegetables. Normally, infants increase in fat level until about their first year,then this
decreases. Fat increases again at age 4 to 8 years. Girls who become overweight at age 5 to
7 tend to enter puberty early. Many girls become more dissatisfied with their bodies,
which is linked to eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Children who are
overweight are predicted to have diabetes and socioemotional problems as they grow up.
They are also predicted to have obesity and eating disorders in the future.

We must never forget the key role of wate in many bodily functions. When we do not
drink enough water, it could lead to dehydration. Dehydration is when there are not enough
fluids in the body, which may eventually disrupt bodily functions and can lead to death.
Natural loss of body fluids, like through urine or sweat,may be more complicated with the
following risk factors: vomiting, diarrhea, illness,infections, diabetes, extreme temperatures
in the environment (too hot or too cold),age,and certain medications. Developing the habit
of drinking enough water could help in keeping our bodies healthy. Our brains are the first
to feel the effects of dehydration and it shows by a loss of concentration.

[Link] spend more hours sleeping than staying awake. Their need for sleep
gradually diminishes to about 11 hours for preschoolers. For children aged 3 to 5 years old,
daytime naps would be needed. At age 6, sleep requirements of children can be from 11 to
12 hours. Adolescents need around 8 to 10 hours of sleep daily. It is important to get
enough sleep because well-rested children behave better and do better in school, having
higher academic [Link] deprivation is one of the contemporary health issues.
Studies show that 85% of teens do not have enough sleep, while about 7% have delayed
sleep, a kind of sleep disorder.

Familial influence. Investing time, energy, and love in the family can lead to happy
children who have normal physical development. When families tend to abuse children or
neglect them, these may lead to negative effect on physical growth and development, and
affect cognitive as well as socioemotional development. Harsh,uncaring adult behavior or
unresponsive caregiving can be detrimental to physical growth and well-being.

Geographical influences. Where a child lives usually influences how the child would
turn out to be. Weather affects biorhythms, allergies, and other health conditions. Analyze
the drawings on the next page and reflect on the different situations and how they affect
the children's physical development.
 Socioeconomic [Link] times, children who grow up in deprived environments
and into families with low socioeconomic status (SES) do not get the opportunity that
children in well-off families get, like nutrition, sanitation, medical and health services, or
schooling. When it comes to language development,studies show that among families
with low SES, there are variations in language acquisition, depending on how much
language is used toward the child.
Therefore,SES is not a determining factor for low language [Link] family
who talks to the child as often as possible can help in the development of the child. This is
why head start programs, feeding programs, free clinics, and scholarships are very useful
in helping children in poor communities improve their chances for proper physical
development. They also develop better in other domains like cognitive and
socioemotional. Some teachers assigned to teach in schools in lower income groups may
find it frustrating sometimes to teach, but being aware of the issues of the
underprivileged, living in unstable home environments, and difficult situations can help
teachers understand the children and try to help in finding solutions.

By now, you might have noticed the relationship of nutrition, genetics,hormones,

environment, socioeconomic status, and geography as interlinked and/or interacting
factors affecting physical development.