1.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF A
HEALTHY CHILD

2.
INTRODUCTION
• The process of growth and development starts before the baby
is born, i.e. from the conception in the mother’s womb. The
period extends throughout the lifecycle. But the principal
changes occurs from the conception to the end of adolescence.
• Growth and development are closely inter-related. Each child
has individualized pattern of growth and development.
• Promotion of child health and care of children depend upon
understanding of growth and development.

3.
IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
• Knowing what to expect of a particular child at any given age.
• Gaining better understanding of the reasons behind illnesses.
• Helping in formulating the plan of care.
• Helping in parents’ education in order to achieve optimal
growth & development at each stage.
• To develop a rapport with the child to enhance the provision of
health care and to help to build healthy lifestyle for optimum
health for the future.

4.
GROWTH
• Growth refers to an increase in
physical size of the whole body or
any of its parts.
• It is simply a quantitative change
in the child’s body.
• It can be measured in Kg,
pounds, meters, inches, Etc.

5.
DEVELOPMENT
•Development refers to a
progressive increase in skill and
capacity of function.
•It is a qualitative change in the
child’s functioning.
•It can be measured through
observation.

6.
MATURATION
•Increase in child’s competence
and adaptability.
•It is describing the qualitative
change in a structure.
•The level of maturation depends
on child’s heredity.

7.
PRINCIPLES OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
1) Continuity
2) Sequentiality
3) Generality to Specificity
4) Differentiality
5) Development proceeds from the head downward
6) Development proceeds from the centre of the body outward
7) Development depends on maturation and learning

8.
PRINCIPLES OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
8) Development proceeds from the simple to more complex
9) Growth is a personal matter
10) Growth comes from within
11) Growth has certain characteristics common at particular stages
12) Growth is gradual and orderly but uneven

9.
CONTINUITY
• Growth and Development is a continues process from conception to
death.
• In the early years of life, development consists of changes that lead
the child to maturity not only of body size and functioning, but also of
behaviour.
• Even after maturity has been attained, development does not end.
Changes continue which lead to the period of life known as
senescence or old age.
• These changes continue until death ends the life cycle.

10.
SEQUENTIALITY
• Every species, whether animal or human, follows a pattern of
development peculiar to it. This pattern in general is the same for all
individuals.
• Social and behavioral scientists increasingly have come to see
development as a relationship between organism and environment
in a transaction or collaboration.
• Individuals work with and affect their environment, and in turn the
environment works with and affects them.
• All children follow a development pattern with one stage leading to
the next. Ex - Infants stand Before they walk; draw circles before
they make squares

11.
GENERALITY TO SPECIFICITY
• Development proceeds from general to specific. In all areas of
development, general activities always precedes specific activity.
For example;
• The fetus moves its whole body but incapable of making specific responses
• Infants wave their arms randomly. They can make such specific responses as
reaching out for an object near them.

12.
DIFFERENTIALITY
• The tempo of development is not even. Individuals differ in the
rate of growth and development.
• Boys and girls have different development rates. Each part of
the body has its own particular rate of growth. Development
does not occur at an even pace.
• There are periods of great intensity and equilibrium and there
are periods of imbalance.
• Development achieves a plateau and this may occur at any
level or between levels.

13.
DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS FROM THE HEAD
DOWNWARD (CEPHALO-CAUDAL)
• This principle describes the direction of growth and development.
• The head region starts growth at first, following by which other
organs starts developing.
• The child gains control of the head first, then the arms and then the
legs.
• Infants develop control of the head and face movements at first two
months. In next few months they are able to lift themselves up by
using their arms. Next gain control over leg and able to crawl, stand,
walk, run, jump, climb, day by day.

14.
DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS FROM THE CENTRE
OF THE BODY OUTWARD (PROXIMODISTAL)
• The directional sequence of development during both prenatal and
postnatal stages may either be (i) from head to foot, or (ii) from the
central axis to the extremities of the body.
• The spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body.
• The child’s arms develops before the hands, the hands and feet
develops before the fingers and toes.
• Fingers and toe muscles are the last to develop in physical
development.

15.
The directional sequence of development stages may either be (A) from
head to foot, or (B) from the central axis to the extremities of the body.

16.
DEVELOPMENT DEPENDS ON MATURATION
AND LEARNING
• Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological
growth and development.
• The biological changes occur in sequential order and give
children new abilities.
• Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for
maturation. And help children to improve in thinking and
motor skills.
• Children must mature to a, certain point before they can
progress to new skills.

17.
DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS FROM THE SIMPLE
TO MORE COMPLEX
• Children use their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve
problems.
• Children at first are able hold the big things by using both arms, In the
next part able to hold things in a single hand, then only able to pick
small objects like peas, cereals etc.
• Children when able to hold pencil, first starts draw circles then
squares then only letters after that the words.

18.
GROWTH IS A PERSONAL MATTER
• Each child grows in his own
personal manner. He/she
should be permitted to grow at
his/her own rate.
• If we expects too much, he/she
may does even less than
he/she is able to do.

19.
GROWTH COMES FROM WITHIN
• One or surrounding environment
can encourage or can hinder the
energy of a child, but the drive
force that pushes a child to grow
is carried inside him.
• Parent or teacher job is to clear
the track, guide the child with
loving acceptance and then relax
and enjoy.

20.
FACTORS AFFECTING GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
•Hereditary
•Environmental factors
• Prenatal environment (1. Factors
related to mothers during
pregnancy, 2. Factors related to
fetus)
• Post natal environment (1. External
environment, 2. Internal
environment)

21.
HEREDITARY
• The heredity of a man and women
determined that of a children.
• Some children's are small not because
of endocrine and nutritional
disturbances but because of their
genetic constitution.
• Health history of parents is studied to
determine the hereditary traits likely to
exist in the children .

22.
Sex:
• After Birth The Male Infant Is Both Longer And
Heavier Than The Female Infant.
• Boys Maintain These Superiority Until About 11
Years Of Age.
• Girls Mature Earlier , Reach The Period Of
Accelerated Growth Earlier Than Boys And Are
Taller On The Average , Bone Development Is
More Advanced In Girls During Prepubertal
Spurt Of Growth And Development.
• Earlier Eruption Of The Permanent Teeth In
Girls.

23.
RACE AND NATIONALITY:
•Race : Distinguishing Characteristics Called Racial
Or Subracial Development In Prehistoric Humans
As Too Height , Tall And Short.
• Nationality : We Think Of Physical Characteristics
Of National Groups Because The Inhabitants Of
Various Nations

24.
ENVIRONMENT
Pre-natal environment
1-Factors related to mothers during
pregnancy:
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Diabetic mother
- Exposure to radiation
- Infection with German
measles
- Smoking
- Use of drugs
2-Factors related to fetus
Mal-position in uterus
Faulty placental
implantation
Post-Natal Environment
I. External environment:
Socio-economic status of the family
Child’s nutrition
Climate and season
Child’s ordinal position in the family
Number of siblings in the family
Family structure (single parent or
extended family
II. Internal environment
Child’s intelligence
Hormonal influences

25.
PRENATAL ENVIRONMENT
• Intrauterine environment is an important predominant factor of
growth and development. Various conditions influence the fetal
growth in utero.
• Maternal Malnutrition.
• Maternal Infections.
• Maternal Substance abuse.
• Maternal Illness.
• Hormones. Like thyroxin and insulin influence the fetal growth.
• Miscellaneous:- Various parental conditions, which may also
influence fetal growth include uterine malformations mal-positions
of the fetus oligohydramnios, faulty placental implantation or
malfunction, maternal emotion during pregnancy, inadequate
prenatal care, etc.

26.
POSTNATAL ENVIRONMENT
I. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
• Growth Potential:- is indicated by child’s size at birth. The smaller the
child at birth the smaller she / he is likely to be in subsequent years.
• Nutrition:- balanced amount of essential nutrients have great
significant role in growth and development. Both quantitative and
qualitative supply of nutrition are necessary for promotion of G & D.
• Childhood Illness:- both acute and chronic illnesses of childhood
affect the child’s G & D adversely.
• Physical Environment: Housing, living conditions, safety and fresh air,
hygiene, safe water supply, etc.

27.
Cont…
• Psychological Environment:- Healthy family, good parent child relationship and
healthy interaction with other family members, neighbors, friends. Lack of love
affection and security leads to emotional disturbance which hinders emotional
maturity and personality development. Broken family, sibling jealousy and
inappropriate school environment has poor effect on psychological development.
• Cultural Influences.
• Socioeconomic Status.
• Climate and Season:- Climatic variation and seasonal changes influence the child
health.
• Play and exercise:- play and exercise promote physiological activity and
stimulates muscular development.
• Birth order of the child:- the first born is usually intelligent achievement
oriented.

28.
II. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
• Intelligence:- Intelligence of the child influences mental and social
development.
• Hormonal Influence:- Hormones are the important aspects of
internal environment which have vital role in growth and
development of the children. All hormones in the body affect growth
in some manner.