What is in yours? :: science

What is in yours? From the moment parents bring their new baby home from the hospital, they watch their baby's progress, anticipating every inch of growth and each new developmental milestone along the way. But what exactly are they watching for and how do parents know if their child is growing properly? Growth is the various physical and developmental milestones that most children reach during each age level. Physical growth, which is generally measured in terms of height, weight and head growth, is also monitored carefully. This includes increases in height and weight as well as development in cognitive, language, and social skills. Hair grows; teeth come in, come out, and come in again; and eventually puberty hits. It's all part of the growth process. The first year of an infant's life is a time of astonishing change. During this time, a baby will grow rapidly and achieve major developmental milestones, such as taking first steps or maybe even saying a few first words. On average, babies grow 10 inches in height while tripling birth weight by their first birthday. Beginning in infancy, a child will visit a doctor for regular checkups. At each of these visits, the doctor will record the child's height and weight on a growth chart. This chart shows the doctor and parents how the child's height and weight compare to that of other children the same age. This can help your child's doctor determine whether your child is growing at an appropriate rate or whether there might be any problems. After age 1, a baby's growth in length slows considerably, and by 2 years, growth in height usually continues at a fairly steady rate of approximately 2 1/2 inches per year until adolescence. No child grows at a perfectly steady rate throughout this period of childhood, however. Weeks or months of slightly slower growth alternate with mini growth spurts in normal children. Kids actually tend to grow a bit faster in the spring than during other times of the year. A major growth spurt occurs at the time of puberty. Around ages 8 to 13 in girls and 10 to 15 in boys, kids enter puberty, which lasts from about 2 to 5 years. By the time girls reach age 15 and boys reach age 16 or 17, the growth associated with puberty will have ended for most teens and they will have reached physical maturity.