Growth Rate and Development in Boys and Girls Essay

Puberty begins for boys between 14-17 years and for girls between 13-16 years. May became sexually active

7–12 years – Around this time, a child will start refining the skills that they have learnt. They will continue to grow taller. They will have better management of the small and large movements. Girls may start to show signs of puberty at around 10 years of age.

Between 8 - 12 years they will greatly improve on their physical skills that are already acquired. Puberty will start at around 10 years old for girls with an increase in body strength and a sudden growth spurt.

CT230 1.1 Explain the sequence and Rate of each aspect of development from Birth to 19 years of age

Children have a lot of factors that influence their physical changes. For example, after preschool years children start to lose their baby teeth, and the skeleton begins to grow. During the preschool years, when the children grow slower than

Standard measurements- the child’s height and weight could be tested to see if they are growing at the speed of their age. If the child is smaller than they should be that could be because they have a disability or from the characteristics of their parents.

Between twelve and nineteen years old, coordination and strength increase in boys and girls and by nineteen or twenty, they have full adult motor capabilities. Physical developments and changing appearances occur in both genders, though usually earlier in girls than boys. After initial breast budding at around ten, girl’s breasts begin to swell, pubic hair begins to grow and their bodies develop womanly curves. Some girls start to develop at eight and by thirteen are physically mature, but the age and speed of development varies widely. The average age for the start of menstruation is thirteen. Adolescence usually starts at about fourteen in boys – their voices drop and become deeper, they start to grow body hair and they gain muscle, testicular and scrotum growth. Again, there is great variation in

Physical Development: Girls may have reached maturity by now, but boys will continue to grow into their mid 20â€TMs.

This figure clearly shows that there is a large difference in length for individuals aged between 2 and 5 years. This indicates that those aged between 2 and 5 grow at a more rapid rate than that of those aged 0 and 1 year.

Adult height can be predicted from measurements of height at three years of age; males are approximately 53% of their adult height and females, 57%.

Growth charts also show the pattern of children's height and weight gain over time, and displays whether or not they are growing proportionally. Growth charts can also display health problems. For example, if a child was to grow along the same pattern until he/she was 2 years old, and then suddenly started growing at a much slower rate than other children, this could indicate a health problem.

Babies grow very fast with rapid weight gain. Birthweight typically doubles by 4 month and triples in a year. Babies will grow more than a foot in height and reaches about 34 inches by the age of 2. This is half of the height of their adult age height.

I do not remember specifically when I went through my growth spurt. A growth spurt is defined as a “relatively sudden and rapid physical growth that occurs during puberty.” (Bergen 423). I have always been tall for my age, so when I finally hit my growth spurt I didn’t really notice it all that much. The text describes growth spurts as “the growth is not always symmetrical”, however I don’t remember experiencing my body not being symmetrical. People used to think that I was older that I actually was, because of my height. My family friend, who is 3 years younger than me, didn’t hit her growth spurt until she was about 14, and her growth spurt was noticeable.

Mary has reached her body height at 5’2”. Although, when she was younger she had to take growth hormones because she was not growing when the rest of her peers were. She was a very late developer and did not start puberty until she was 17.

In terms of physical characteristics, the average height and weight for a two year old is thirty-four inches tall and twenty –eight pounds. Over time, their head growth will slow, from 3⁄4 inch (2 cm) in their second year alone to 3⁄4 to 1 1⁄4 inches (2–3 cm) over the next ten years. The child’s posture will change as well during the toddler years. These physical changes are due to improved muscle tone, which is cause for a more erect posture, thus giving the child a taller, and more lean appearance (“Physical Appearance,” 2013).