GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT FACTORS IN KIDS

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT FACTORS IN KIDS

A number of factors influence growth and development.

Genetic factors

  It is well known that certain hereditary influences may have a bearing on the ultimate constitution of the body.

1. Parental traits Tall parents are likely to have tall offsprings. Likewise, level of intelligence of parents influences the intelligent quotient(IQ) of their children.
2. Genetic disorders/abnormal genes Transmission of some abnormal genes may result in a familial illness which affects the physical and /or functional maturation, e.g. phenylketonuria (PKU) , thalassemia, hemophilia, mucopolysaccharidosis, galactosemia, etc. In addition, many inherited disorders, where biochemical defects are yet to be identified, are accompanied by defect in growth and development.
3. Chromosomal disorders Many chromosomal disorders, including Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome, etc. are known to manifest in the form of growth and developmental aberrations.
4. Race Growth potential varies from race to race.
5. Sex generally speaking, at birth, boys are taller and heavier than girls. When they mature towards adulthood, average height and weight of boys score over the girls.
6. Biorhythm Girls usually follow the same pattern of menarche and menstrual cycle as their mother.
7. Twinning Multiple pregnancies usually result in small babies who are likely to attain
8. Low height and weight in the long run

Nutritional Factors

Nutritional deficiency of proteins, calories, minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids(especially lysine), both quantitative and qualitative, considerably retards physical growth and development. Also other debilitating illness which interfere with adequate nutrition(say malabsorption syndrome, tuberculosis, malignancy, chronic diarrhea/dysentery, intestinal parasitic infestations) exert similar effect.

Malnourished mothers, particularly if they continue to be fed poorly during pregnancy, are known to produce low birthweight babies, especially with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). On the other hand, average birthweight of infants whose mothers are fed well during pregnancy is far higher.

Overnutrition, beyond a limit, may cause obesity. What a paradox that, whereas obesity is emerging as a major health hazard in the affluent countries(now in developing countries too), undernutrition has failed to demonstrate a really significant downhill course in the developing regions of the world!

It is worth mentioning that undernutrition affects the growth in weight far more than that of length/height. Nevertheless, chronic undernutrition spread over significant period leads to “stunting” (short stature)

Socioeconomic Factors

Poverty is associated with diminished and affluence with good growth. Children from well-to-do families usually are better nourished.

Environmental and Seasonal Factors

Physical surroundings (sunshine, hygiene, living, standard) and psychological and social factors (relationship with family members, teachers,  friends etc.) affect growth and development. It has also been observed that maximum weight gain occurs during fall and maximum height gain during spring.

Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases of the heart (congenital heart, chronic rheumatic heart), chest (tuberculosis, asthma, cystic fibrosis), kidneys(nephritic syndrome, nephritis, bladder neck obstruction), liver(cirrhosis, hydatid cyst), neoplasms, digestive or absorptive disorders, hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism,etc. impair growth. Adrenocortical overactivity causes excessive height in early childhood. Metabolic disorders (glycogen-storage disease, renal acidosis) and mental retardation are associated with retarded growth. High levels of growth hormone result in gigantism.

Acute illness, in general, do not have any noteworthy effect on growth and development.

Growth Potentials

The smaller the child at birth (especially in context of gestation) the smaller he is likely to be in subsequent years. The larger the child at birth, the larger he is likely to be in later years. Thus the growth potential is somewhat indicated by child’s size at birth.

Parental and Intrauterine Factors

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), endometritis, maternal infection like rubella, cytomegalic inclusion body disease and toxoplasmosis, and maternal diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, antithyroid drugs  administrated for thyrotoxicosis, etc. adversely affect the fetus and thereby the newborn.

Emotional Factors

Emotional trauma from unstable family, insecurity ,sibling jealousy and rivalry, loss of parents, inadequate schooling, etc. –all have negative effect on growth and development.

Not infrequently, a plethora of unfavorable influences  join hands to affect the growth and development adversely.

Hormonal Factors

1. Growth hormone Whereas growth hormone is not needed fetal growth, its role in postnatal growth is significant.
2. Thyroxine deficiency(from maternal hypothyroidism or maternal medication with antithyroid drugs and iodides in second half of pregnancy) may cause fetal goiter and hypothyroidism with retardation of the skeletal growth of fetus.
3. Insulin Diabetic mothers cause increase in fetal blood sugar that leads to hyperplasia of islets of Langerhans and elevation of insulin production. The result in stimulation of fetal growth. That is why fetus is large with high birthweight in diabetic mothers. Similar influence is exerted by a polypeptide produced by placenta (the so-called “insulin-like growth factor”).