Factors Affecting Growth and Development.

 

Factors Affecting Growth and Development

Following are the factors that affect growth and development:

1. Heredity

• Heredity is the transmission of physical characteristics from parents to children through their genes.
• It affects all the aspects of physical appearance such as height, weight, body structure, color of eyes, skin complexion etc.
• Diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity etc., can also be passed from parents to child through genes, which affect the growth and development of the child.

2. Environment

• Environment refers to the atmosphere at the child’s home and his/her interaction with his/her family, peers, neighborhood etc.
• Environment plays an important role in the growth and development and it represents the sum total of a physical and psychological development.

3. Sex / Gender

• The sex or gender of the child is another major factor affecting the physical growth and development.
• At the time of puberty, boys and girls grow and develop differently.
• During the time of puberty, girls tend to mature faster than boys.
• Girls and boys also go through various bodily changes during this period based on their sex.

4. Exercise and Health

• Exercise refers to the normal playtime and sports activities which help the body gain physical strength and remain healthy.
• Proper exercise helps children grow well.
• Exercise keeps them healthy and fights off disease by strengthening their immune system.
• This is because outdoor play exposes them to microbes that help build resistance and prevent allergies.

5. Hormones

• Hormones belong to the endocrine system and influence various functions of our bodies.
• Hormones are produced by different glands that are situated in specific parts of the body to secrete hormones that control body functions.
• Their timely functioning is critical for normal physical growth and development in children.
• Imbalances in the functioning of hormones – secreting glands can result in the growth defects, obesity, behavioral problems and other diseases.

6. Nutrition

• Nutrition is a critical factor in growth as everything the body needs to build and repair itself comes from food we eat.
• Lack of nutrition causes malnutrition which causes deficiency diseases that adversely affect the growth and development of the children.
• On the other hand, overeating can lead to obesity and health problems in long run such as diabetes and heart disease.
• A child needs a proper balanced diet rich in all the nutrition is essential for the development of brain and body.

7. Family Influence

• Families have the most profound impact in nurturing a child and determining the way in which they develop psychologically and socially.
• Positive growth and development is seen in children whose family invest time, energy and love in the development of child through activities such as reading to them, playing with them and having deep meaningful conversations.
• Families that abuse and neglect children would affect they development in a negative way.

8. Geographical Influences

• The houses that children live in, the schools they attend, the neighborhood they love in, and the opportunities offered by the community all the factors affect the development of child.
• Even the weather of a place influences children in the form of bodily rhythms, allergies, and other health conditions.

9. Socio-Economic Status

• The socio-economic status of a family determines the quality of the opportunity a child gets.
• Children belonging to the well off families get better nutrition, education and facilities than children belonging to poorer families.

10. Learning and reinforcement

• Learning involves much more than schooling. It is also concerned with building the child up mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially, so they operate as healthy functional individuals in the society.
• This is where the development of mind takes place and child can gain some maturity.