Child growth and weight loss

When a new person is born, first of all, his physical parameters are determined. The child's height at birth is one of the indicators of his full development. A person, like any other living creature on our planet, has a genetic program, which contains information about the individual characteristics of the individual: gender, height, weight, eye color, etc.

Not only at birth, but also throughout early childhood and adolescence, growth indicators will be carefully monitored by various medical commissions. Whether it is monitoring a child up to one year, admission to a kindergarten or school, or conscription into military service - everywhere they will pay attention, first of all, to growth parameters. The ability to grow and develop is the most important in childhood. If a child's growth is delayed, this may mean the development of some pathology.

Whenever possible, the child's height and weight should be measured and a graph made. This will make it obvious that the child's growth is delayed, if any.

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What is growth?

Growth is an increase in the length and volume of the body. Both length and volume should develop proportionally. Only a slight lag of one indicator from the other is acceptable. If there is a significant preponderance of one indicator, then this is a clear sign of the onset of pathology. The child's growth is calculated according to certain tables, which provide summary data on growth and body weight depending on age. It is generally accepted that growth completes its development by the age of 18, although many scientists claim that the human body continues to grow throughout life, but the process is so slow that it is practically unnoticeable.

The main driving factor that causes a child's growth are hormones. Genetic characteristics received by a child from parents, in combination with proper physical development and balanced nutrition against the background of a normal hormonal background, give the development of growth parameters corresponding to each stage of development of a growing organism.

Why do we grow?

As stated above, hormones are the engine of growth, and an engine without fuel does not work. Fuel for growth development is fats, proteins and carbohydrates, which enter the body with food in sufficient quantities. The main building material is proteins, fats are needed to release the required amount of energy, which children spend in large quantities. A child's growth cannot do without vitamins and microelements, which, like small bricks, form the foundation for the full development of the body. Internal "construction work" must be supported to the required extent by external indicators of the child's physical activity. For normal development of growth and body weight, a complete combination of all the above factors is needed.

The controlling organ that carefully monitors the growth process is the hypothalamus, a special section of the brain. This controller is capable of giving commands to allow or prohibit a particular process. If the hypothalamus malfunctions, the child begins to grow uncontrollably quickly, with a significant lag in body weight, leading to a disease called " gigantism ". People with pathologically small stature are often called " dwarfs ". In both cases, not only the growth rate suffers, the formation of all vital organs occurs with severe defects, which significantly complicates the further functioning of the body.

The brain alone is not able to cope with the rapid growth process; the endocrine system comes to its aid. In a complex connection with each other, they cope with the work qualitatively, increasing or delaying development in a balanced manner. For example, the pancreas and thyroid gland, by secreting their hormonal substances, are able to enhance the child's growth and development, and the adrenal glands inhibit these same processes.

Factors that determine a child's growth

They can be conditionally divided into genetic, environmental and difficult to classify.

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Genetic factors that determine the height of children

It is believed that there are more than 100 genes regulating the rate and limit of human growth, but it is quite difficult to obtain direct evidence of their role. The influence of heredity in general affects the growth of a child after 2 years of age. There are two periods when the correlations between the growth of parents and children are most significant. These are the ages of 2 to 9 years, when the effect of one group of genes is felt (the first family factor), and the age of 13 to 18 years, when growth regulation depends on other genes (the second family factor). Hereditary factors mainly determine the rate, possible limit of a child's growth and some final features of the physique under optimal living and upbringing conditions. Under non-optimal living and upbringing conditions, the maximum possible limit of growth is not realized. The objects of genetic and environmental regulation in varying the rate and limit of growth are mainly endocrine-humoral growth stimulators, their carrier proteins and receptors for stimulators or inhibitory growth factors. First of all, this is the growth hormone system.

The main factors regulating and determining fetal growth are uterine blood flow and placental perfusion. The hypothalamic-pituitary system apparently does not affect these processes, since fetal growth is not impaired in anencephaly. It is possible that the placenta, among many low-molecular peptides it produces, also produces growth factors. Human chorionic somatomammotropin can also be considered a growth hormone. Fetal thyroid hormones are also unlikely to be growth factors, but their influence has been proven to be necessary for the formation of neurons and glial cells in the brain. The growth effect of insulin is most convincing. In postnatal growth, endocrine regulation and stimulation acquire a very significant significance. Hormones that promote growth are pituitary somatotropic hormone (STH), thyroid hormones, and insulin. Growth hormone stimulates chondrogenesis, while thyroid hormones have a greater effect on osteogenesis. STH acts on the growth cartilage indirectly. The active agents for the implementation of many effects of growth hormone are a group of factors previously called somatomedins, and now classified as a complex of insulin-like growth factors 1, 2 and 3. In turn, the effect of the latter can be determined by the activity of the production of binding transport proteins specific to each of these factors. Activation of the production of all these mediator factors under the influence of the production of the growth hormone itself has also been described. Some growth factors are synthesized in the liver and, possibly, in the kidneys under the influence of STH. The role of STH has a relatively small effect on the growth of a child up to 2-3 years of age and is especially important in the period from 3 to 11 years. Having a protein-anabolic effect, STH promotes the growth of not only tissues, but also muscles and internal organs. In addition, it increases the water content in tissues.

The greatest growth effect of thyroxine is determined in the first 5 years of life, and then - in the prepubertal and pubertal periods. Thyroxine stimulates osteogenic activity and increased bone maturation. Androgens, acting mainly in the prepubertal and pubertal periods, enhance the development of muscle tissue, enchondral ossification and chondroplastic bone growth. The action of androgens as growth stimulators is short-term. The debut of this effect can be observed, stating the beginning of the prepubertal growth spurt. The essence of this growth spurt is the summation of two endocrine, growth-stimulating effects - the pre-existing due to the growth hormone and thyroxine system and a new stimulator - androgens of the adrenal glands and sex glands. Following the pubertal acceleration of growth, androgens affect the closure of the epiphyseal growth zones and thus contribute to its cessation.

Environmental factors that determine a child's growth

The influence of environmental factors on the growth rate of children has been studied for almost 200 years. The influence of nutrition is recognized as the most important. A significant nutritional imbalance leading to a deficiency of essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, as well as a relatively moderate energy deficiency, can lead to growth retardation in children. Moderate degrees of nutritional deficiency affect only the growth rate. In this case, the time of growth and maturation increases, sexual development occurs later, but the final height of the child may not decrease. High degrees of nutritional deficiency are not compensated for by an extension of the development period and lead to short stature and the preservation of childish body proportions. Starvation of a child in the first weeks and months of life inhibits, in parallel with growth, the normal proliferative activity of brain cells and can lead to a decrease in cellularity and brain mass with a decrease in its functional capabilities in subsequent periods of life. Similarly, starvation of an adolescent can affect the formation of the sexual sphere and manifest itself in a violation of its functions in adulthood.

Deficiency of some food components selectively disrupts the growth processes of children. Such components include vitamin A, zinc, iodine.

Very important are modern ideas that the activation of the entire chain of hormonal growth stimulators is significantly determined by the intensification of nutrition. IRF-1 (insulin-resistant factor) and IRF-3-SB (binding protein) are most sensitive to nutrition. The energy value of nutrition can be an intensifying factor even with little participation of the growth hormone itself. This explains the possibility of the phenomenon of alimentary acceleration itself and, on the other hand, significant changes in the growth rate in children even with moderate restriction of appetite and real nutrition. Nutrition turns out to be the most important environmental factor determining both the speed and potential of growth and its final results.

The question of the relationship between nutrition and biological age and the future lifespan of mammals and humans has been raised for a relatively long time. The possibility of alimentary stimulation of growth has been proven. This problem has already attracted the attention of specialists from the World Health Organization.

Intensification of nutrition significantly increases the rate of biological maturation, accelerating the "biological clock" of animals. The significance of these universal and fundamental general biological laws is very great. Someday, on their basis, generations will be formed with slow, optimal in harmony development and maximum terms of future life. Today, these problems should not be raised and especially not implemented in practical technologies of children's nutrition. At present, the risk of malnutrition and starvation of children, the risk of qualitatively inadequate nutrition are many times more significant for both the full development and the life expectancy of children.

The most important growth stimulator, essential for the full formation of skeletal structures, their achievement of final dimensional parameters and histological differentiation, is motor activity, providing sufficient mechanical loads on the bone. Such loads directly determine the activation of osteoblast function and osteoid mineralization. It has been proven that in the presence of mechanical load, growth in length and bone thickening can be adequate even with a slightly lower level of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin O. Particularly significant stimulation of growth processes is provided by such physical activities as active games such as volleyball and basketball.

On the contrary, excessive vertical load, which occurs, for example, when carrying heavy objects, has the property of inhibiting growth. Therefore, the doctor must constantly monitor the child's lifestyle, not allowing either hypokinesia or participation in sports or work that can have a detrimental effect on development.

An important aspect of the regime is sufficient sleep. It is during sleep that all the main metabolic and cellular restructurings occur, determining the processes of skeletal growth and differentiation processes in children's tissues.

The child's emotional state, his joys and failures also affect the implementation of the growth program. Mental stress, depression, trauma always lead to growth inhibition. Such psychologically difficult situations for a child as the first admission to a kindergarten, nursery or school can slow down growth for several weeks. A streak of failures at school or conflicts in the family can lead to a significant lag in growth. This is due to the fact that neuroendocrine mechanisms that are activated when anxiety and depression dominate, primarily the activation of the sympathetic-adrenal system, lead to blocking the processes of growth and development in children.

Acute and chronic diseases of the child also affect the growth processes. Repeated acute respiratory diseases, childhood infections, repeated intestinal diseases and dysfunctions can, in their totality, disrupt the anabolic processes in the child's body for a long time. In chronic diseases, microcirculation disorders in tissues, chronic hypoxemia, and the presence of various toxins in the circulating blood can act in this direction.

The environmental factors also include the influence of various climatic and geographical conditions. It has been proven that hot climates and highland conditions have an inhibitory effect on growth processes, but at the same time can significantly accelerate the maturation of children. Variations in growth rates due to seasons of the year, its acceleration in spring and deceleration in the autumn-winter months, are widely known. Seasonality of growth obliges doctors to base their estimates of the growth rate of preschool and school-age children primarily on annual dynamics. Estimating growth over shorter periods may be erroneous.

The least studied are the effects on the child's growth of the group of factors that was designated as the unclassified group. These include the ordinal number of pregnancy and birth, the time of birth, the weight of the fetus (newborn) at the time of birth, the age of the mother and, to a lesser extent, the father, the season of the child's birth. The degree of influence of all the listed factors is relatively small, but highly reliable.

In general, the tendency of a child's growth under normal conditions is relatively stable and obeys the law of canalization (i.e., maintaining the speed). Some unfavorable influences that disrupt the normal growth rate of a child can subsequently be neutralized by the phenomenon of catch-up, or compensatory, growth, i.e., accelerated growth that occurs after the elimination of the unfavorable effect. However, compensatory growth is not observed in all cases of growth retardation, and its mechanisms differ significantly from normal ones, which determines the temporary nature and incompleteness of growth restoration in children who have experienced growth arrest. This forces pediatricians to be more active and wary of preventing growth disorders.

Why does a child grow poorly?

The above examples clearly show the reasons why a child's growth slows down or stops completely. Internal disturbances in the mechanism of hormone production or a failure in the regulation of metabolic processes are only one of the possible options for the development of pathology. It has long been noted and scientifically proven that children surrounded by an unfavorable atmosphere of life, with poor nutrition, frequent stressful situations, with weak physical and mental activity are poorly developed, weak and lag behind normal growth rates.

A good life, excellent nutrition can also cause disturbances in the process of growth and development of the child's body. Excessive intake of one of the building materials into the body can give unwanted results. A striking example is children's passion for sweet and flour products, carbonated drinks. Intake of large quantities of fats and carbohydrates leads to the formation of obesity, the body cannot cope with the processing of the received batch of "building materials" and arranges "deposits" of fat around the internal organs, increases subcutaneous fat. This leads to rapid weight gain, and the child's growth slows down.

That is why it is important to have a proper, balanced diet for children, physical exercise and the formation of a positive emotional background. A healthy, cheerful, enthusiastic child will not suffer from obesity, even if he eats a large cake in one sitting. The cake eaten is quickly converted into energy and will be released in an active motor form.

Weight lag

This is a delay in weight gain compared to the norms already in infancy. In 95% of cases, the cause is either simply a lack of nutrition, or the amount of food given to the child is normal, but the child does not eat it. Rarely, the reason for the child's low weight is some concomitant chronic disease (renal failure, heart disease, tuberculosis, malabsorption syndrome or frequent vomiting). In underdeveloped countries, the cause is probably poverty of the population. In Great Britain, the cause is often various household difficulties, poor relationships between mother and child, deprivation of the child's "emotional rights" and unwise feeding techniques.

A test feeding is the best way to detect feeding defects in infants. The baby is weighed before and after feeding (including the weight of any excreta), and this is done over several feedings (the feeding at 6 a.m. is the heaviest), and the one at 1 p.m. is the lightest. When bottle feeding, be sure to check the size of the hole in the nipple (it should be large enough so that when the bottle is turned upside down, milk should flow out in large drops).

Basic laboratory and instrumental examination

Midstream urine culture, chest X-ray, determination of serum urea and electrolytes, calcium, proteins, thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and peripheral blood leukocyte count.

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How to become tall?

Many people suffer from the fact that, in their opinion, they are not tall enough. The reason for this is hereditary predisposition. If a child's parents are not tall, then most likely the child's height will either be the same as the parents', or not much higher. But there are methods by which you can increase the child's height by 10-15 centimeters or more. There are special schemes by which you can calculate the final height of the child when he reaches adulthood. If parents want their baby to be tall and slim, then they need to take care of this from early childhood. Many sports contribute to a change in body length to the greater side.

Volleyball or basketball sections, high and long jumps, pull-ups – this is not a complete list of physical activities that can have a positive effect on the rapid and correct growth of a child’s body in all indicators of length and body weight. Even as an adult, by giving preference to one of the sports, you can increase your already formed height by several centimeters. If there is a desire on your part, the body will always gratefully accept any physical activity aimed at its health improvement.

However, we should not forget about sports that “slow down” a child’s growth. These include all types of wrestling, sambo, judo, and weightlifting. Disproportionate physical activity has a negative effect on the musculoskeletal system, which, among other things, contributes to the development of chronic diseases and injuries in the joints of the extremities and intervertebral discs.

Quality nutrition - good growth of the child

Good nutrition is necessary for normal functioning of any organism. The growth of a child at some periods begins to develop in leaps and bounds. Periods of rapid growth are replaced by temporary stagnation. At such moments, the organism especially needs support and the receipt of additional quantities of essential macro- and microelements.

A diet that is not rich in calcium-containing products can lead, during periods of rapid growth, to an acute shortage of this microelement in the body, which, in turn, will affect the skeletal system. Bones become brittle, teeth begin to deteriorate. If you do not make adjustments to the diet in time, do not add additional calcium, using vitamin complexes, then you can miss the moment and cause irreparable damage to further development, as a result of which the child's growth may slow down or even stop.

Constant monitoring of the development of the body will allow you to avoid many troubles in time. Thus, the presence of intestinal diseases can also lead to a stop in development. Constant problems with the digestive system lead to a decrease in the iron content in the blood, the so-called "iron deficiency anemia" develops. Anemic children have pale skin, a bad mood due to constant discomfort in the abdomen. The child's growth slows down, up to its complete stop. The solution to the problem of iron deficiency is simple - additional intake of special drugs. As a rule, they are prescribed in courses, a month twice a year. It is possible to include iron supplements in the main course of vitamin support.