These individual variations in timing-along with hereditary factors-are largely responsible for the wide variations in size among children the same age. Some children grow as much as three times faster during a particular season of the year, compared with their "slow" seasons. Thus, they may grow faster at times and slower at others. Despite the averages mentioned above, children have a tendency to grow in spurts. Just as height can vary from child to child, so can the timing of a child's growth. See When a Child is Unusually Short or Tall. Doctors do not recommend this treatment for healthy boys and girls who may want (or whose parents may want them) to grow to be 6 feet tall instead of 5 feet 8. A true growth disorder can sometimes be treated by administering growth hormones however, this therapy is reserved for young children whose own glands cannot produce this hormone. If your child seems unusually short or tall relative to his friends the same age, talk with your pediatrician. While there are exceptions, tall parents usually have tall children, and short parents usually have short children. Perhaps more than any other factor, your child's growth and ultimate height will be influenced by heredity. This may be accompanied with the appearance of a small amount of pubic hair, armpit hair, mild acne, and/or body odor. In general, there tends to be a period of a slightly increased growth rate between ages 6 and 8. Weight gain averages about 6.5 pounds a year.Ī number of factors, including how close the child is to puberty, will determine when and how much a child grows. On average, the steady growth of middle childhood results in an increase in height of a little over 2 inches a year in both boys and girls. Also during this stage of life, a child's legs are longer in proportion to the body than they were before. As a child's entire body size increases, the amount of body fat stays relatively stable, giving her a thinner look. This is due to shifts in the accumulation and location of body fat. Most children have a slimmer appearance during middle childhood than they did during the preschool years. This is comforting to many parents who feel childhood passes much too quickly. Physical changes during puberty tend to be more gradual and steady. Puberty is made up of a clear sequence of stages, affecting the skeletal, muscular, reproductive, and nearly all other bodily systems.
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