The physical development of children is a dynamic process of growth and biological maturation over a certain period. The dynamic process of growth is understood as an increase in body weight and length, the development of organs and body systems.
Assessing the physical development of a child - identifying the correspondence of the processes of growth and maturation with the age norm. For quantitative assessment, both absolute values - kilograms, centimeters, and relative ones - percentage of the norm can be used.
The health and physical development of children are inseparable concepts. Deviations from the norm of physical development in most cases signal disorders associated with diseases of the endocrine system, central nervous system, and metabolic pathologies. It is worth noting that a lag in physical development is often less dangerous than a strong advance, which is a sign of hormonal disorders.
Physical development of young children
The early age of a child is the period from one to three years. The physical development of young children is characterized by intensity. During this period, there is a significant increase in height and weight indicators, active growth and development of internal organs, and intensive development of the motor sphere.
Weight and height
Every month, a child aged one to two years gains about 200-250 grams in weight and grows by about one centimeter. Growth slows down slightly in the third year of life and is about 8 cm and 2.5 kg of weight per year. The slowdown is due to the fact that most of the energy during this period is aimed at the development of internal organs and systems, as well as active motor activity.
Physical activity
The development of the musculoskeletal system in young children is characterized by the processes of bone tissue mineralization and normalization of muscle tone. The child’s body acquires the desired stability in an upright position, complex movements using force become feasible, and fine motor skills improve. The period from 2 to 3 years is when physical activity peaks.
Development of internal organs
At an early age, intensive development of the central nervous system occurs, which allows the child to concentrate his attention on one subject for a long time.
The periods when the child is awake increase to six to eight hours. In addition, the functioning of the digestive system changes, intestinal tone increases, and peristalsis increases. Among the changes affecting the excretory system, it is worth noting an increase in the volume of the bladder by two to three times.
Child development stages and signs of developmental delays
Monitoring a child’s development is not only about regularly monitoring his height and weight. There are many other developmental stages that require attention.
Pediatrician Michelle Bailey, medical director at Duke Health Center in Southpointe, says you can see signs of motor and language skills in the very first months of your baby's life.
“Babies start making sounds in the first month of life,” Bailey says. “At 3 months they should already be able to hold their head while lying on their tummy. By 4 months they are babbling in response to your speech and squealing with laughter.”
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Bailey says it's helpful for parents to observe these early stages of development, along with the child's more obvious early milestones, such as learning to walk and talk. But be careful when comparing your child to peers or older siblings. “Remember that every child is unique,” Bailey advises. – “All children develop differently. For example, some start walking quite early - at 9 months, while others start walking quite late - at 14.”
Definition of developmental delays
So, what's the difference between a child who does things a little slower than they should for their age and one who has a true developmental delay? According to Marat Zeltsman, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, developmental delay is when a child noticeably lags behind the norms accepted at a given age. Even though each baby has its own pace of development, "at a certain age, each child must master certain tasks." These tasks are divided into 5 main categories:
- Gross motor skills, such as crawling and walking
- Fine motor skills such as building blocks and coloring
- Language skills, including speech and comprehension
- Intellectual skills
- Social skills
Here is an approximate timeline of developmental milestones in the above areas, compiled using data from the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Remember, your baby can deviate from this schedule and still develop within normal limits, but it's best to discuss any concerns you have with your pediatrician.
Child development milestones chart
2 months: Baby smiles when he hears your voice
3 months: Raises head and chest while lying on tummy. Grabs objects. Smiles at other people
4 months: Babbles, laughs and tries to imitate sounds
6 months: Rolls over from back to tummy and from tummy to back. Transfers objects from one hand to another
7 months: Responds to his name. Finds easily hidden objects
9 months: Sits without support. crawls
12 months: Walks with or without support. Says at least one word. Likes to imitate people
18 months: Walks independently. Drinks from a cup. Knows at least 15 words
2 years old: Runs. Constructs sentences consisting of two words. Follows simple instructions. In the game he imagines himself as some kind of “make-believe” character
3 years: Good at climbing. Builds verbose sentences. Classifies objects by color and shape
4 years: Makes friends and communicates with people outside of his family. Draws circles and squares. Can ride a tricycle
5 years: Can state his name and address. Jumps, bounces and hops on one leg. Dresses independently. Can count to 10 or more
If you think your child is developmentally delayed
If your child does not comply with this schedule, do not panic. “Most often these are minor problems,” Bailey says. “Sometimes parents simply do not give their children the opportunity to develop, without realizing it. For example, if a child cannot sit up independently, the reason for this may be that the parents are supporting him all the time, instead of giving him the opportunity to play on the floor himself.”
Another common cause of the problem is premature birth. “Premature babies tend to have less developed and weaker muscles,” Bailey says, and this can cause delays in motor development that usually resolve with time.
When children fall behind in speech development and comprehension, Zeltsman says, it's likely due to hearing loss caused by frequent ear infections. A less common cause is autism, especially if the child has communication problems. Children whose families speak more than one language may also have language delays, but they usually catch up to their peers by age two.
Other causes of significant developmental disabilities are genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation. In some cases, the cause of the deviation remains unknown.
Early diagnosis and developmental therapy is the key to the problem
In the United States, 2% of children have severe mental retardation, and many more have moderate language and motor delays. And yet, in less than half of the children, these disorders were identified only before starting school.
That needs to change, says Marshelyn Yeargin-Allsopp, medical director of the National Center for Research on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Studies have shown that children who are diagnosed with developmental delays early and treated with developmental therapy are more successful in overcoming the disease than those who are diagnosed too late.
What types of developmental therapy are there?
- Physical therapy for gross motor development
- Exercises to develop fine motor skills
- Hearing testing and speech development therapy
- Special preschool programs for children with autism
“Early developmental therapy not only helps the child learn to perform various necessary activities, but also improves both the relationship between parent and child and the parent's understanding of the situation,” Yeargin-Allsopp says. “Overall, therapy brings enormous benefits to both the child and society as a whole, since the child who undergoes it has a greater chance of doing well in school and avoiding problems with the law.”
Speech disorders are a particular threat to a child’s academic development. “If children have significant language delays at 2 years of age, we can predict what problems await them in the future,” Bailey says. But when should you take action? “Even if at 12 months your baby is unnaturally quiet, not babbling, or responding to your voice, take him to a specialist.”
The state provides the opportunity for free diagnostics and developmental therapy for all children with developmental delays.
What can parents do?
The experts we spoke with recommend the following:
Gross motor skills
- After waking up, place the baby on his tummy (to develop the muscles of the neck and back)
- Create a safe environment at home and allow your baby to be on the floor and explore.
- Give older children opportunities to be outside where they can run and jump.
Fine motor skills
- Give babies toys made from a variety of materials so babies will want to explore with their fingers.
- Provide age-appropriate educational games: puzzles, blocks, paper, and crayons
- Encourage older babies to learn to feed themselves
Speech skills
- Play music for newborns to stimulate their hearing
- Talk to your child
- Read to your child
- Name objects by showing them in pictures in a book
Social interaction
- Smile and laugh with your baby
- Limit TV viewing and play more with your child
“Social interaction is much more important than we realized in the past,” Yearn-Allsopp says. – “Don’t leave your children alone. Daily activities with the child are very important for him.”
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Physical development of children of primary school age
The physical development of children of primary school age is characterized by:
- rapid growth against the background of relatively slow weight gain;
- uniform development of the musculoskeletal system;
- intensive development of large muscles of the arms and legs.
During this period, the morphological development of the central nervous system is completed. By the age of 11 years, the volume of a child’s lungs is one-half that of an adult. Children of primary school age have a need for intense physical activity; it is during this period that they develop a predisposition to certain types of physical activity.
Baby up to 1 year
Infancy is characterized, first of all, by emotional communication, which is the main thing at this stage. All actions of a newborn baby are performed on an instinctive level, unconsciously: he sucks the breast or pacifier, moves his arms and legs, cries when he wants to eat or experiences discomfort. But only a few months will pass, and the baby will begin to consciously smile, respond to his mother’s smile with the first “aha” and purposefully reach for the toy. Here, an important stage of psychological development will be the active use of hearing and vision. Having reached the age of 6-8 months, the baby will learn to crawl and begin to explore the world around him more actively. He is already able to feel the connection between the object and the word denoting it. The first words open his vocabulary. By the first anniversary of birth, the baby shows the intention of communicating with people. He already chooses who he likes and who he should stay away from.
Physical development of middle school children
The physical development of children of middle school age is characterized by the following:
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- intensive growth - about 4-7 cm per year;
- intensive increase in body weight - about 3-6 kg per year;
- growth of long tubular bones of the arms and legs;
- intensive growth in the height of the vertebrae;
- rapid development of the muscular system;
- formation of all functional systems;
- improved coordination and strength abilities.
The onset of puberty in girls begins one to two years earlier than in boys. During the same time period, intensive development of the respiratory system and an increase in the vital capacity of the lungs are observed.
What has a one-and-a-half-year-old child learned?
The physical development of a child at 18 months allows him to do many things without the help and support of an adult. Despite the fact that the baby is not developing as actively as in the first year of life, with the onset of each month something new can be noted, including at one and a half years.
What should a child be able to do at 18 months?
- Most babies begin to walk without support or support, some do it quite deftly and quickly;
- there are fewer and fewer obstacles for the child, since he can easily cross a threshold or object that is bothering him, climb onto the sofa and other “heights”;
- Most children by this age already pronounce a lot of simple words, some do it better, others achieve success a little later;
- Eating independently using utensils no longer poses any difficulty, the child copes with this task;
- contact with adults is established not only visually, but also verbally, since the child can already understand the parents’ speech and respond to their questions;
- at one and a half years the child calmly bends down and picks up any object;
- if the baby likes a book, toy or any other object, he will point it out to you;
- the baby turns the pages of books, points to familiar pictures;
- The child is not yet very skillful, but already confidently can go up or down the stairs;
- the ball begins to arouse interest, the baby can throw it, kick it, or even try to catch it with his hands;
- Along with the bottle, a mug also appears in life; now the little person can drink from it almost independently;
- if you ask a child where his ears, nose or any other part of the body is, he will point to it;
- the child tries to take part in taking off and putting on clothes, as well as in choosing them;
- pencils, crayons or pens appear in the baby’s hands, the first “artistic masterpieces” appear;
- Especially “early” children begin to master the potty.
Physical development of children of senior school age
At high school age, puberty ends and both gender and individual differences in body structure clearly appear. In addition, it is observed:
- slowing body height growth;
- body weight gain;
- completion of ossification of most of the skeleton;
- thickening of tubular bones;
- active development of the chest;
- rapid and uniform muscle development.
If you want to find out how well your child’s physical development is progressing, contact the CELT multidisciplinary clinic. We employ pediatric specialists who have extensive experience. They will assess the physical development of your child, provide you with all the necessary information and advise you on issues that interest you.
Make an appointment through the application or by calling +7 +7 We work every day:
- Monday—Friday: 8.00—20.00
- Saturday: 8.00–18.00
- Sunday is a day off
The nearest metro and MCC stations to the clinic:
- Highway of Enthusiasts or Perovo
- Partisan
- Enthusiast Highway
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