Factors that affects the growth of a child

There are many factors that affect the growth of a child as well as the building of his character which scientists divided into two categories:

First, basic factors, which are as follows:

1- Heredity which means the passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another. Heredity plays an important role in growth, and it differs from males to females. Examples of these genetic characteristics: Color of eyes, hair, skin, blood type, and genetic diseases.

2 Environment: Where it affects clearly the growth and can be divided into three sections:

• Natural environment which includes the climate and the weather. Studies have proven that the growth of children differs according to the difference of natural environment for each child.

•  Social environment which includes family and the scope of its social and economic status on the growth of a child where a child acquires a lot of behavior particularly in his first years.

•  Cultural environment: whenever the cultural environment more advanced and prosperous, it will affect the child's growth positively. Therefore, we see the cultural growth of children, who live in developed countries, more developed than other children.

3- The quality of food: Experiments have proven that a child who takes complete nutrition grows better than a child who depends on nutrition that does not contain enough vitamins, therefore we see delay in the growth of children who live in the poorest third world countries.

Second, secondary factors that may be summed up hereunder:

•  Mother's infection of certain diseases during pregnancy: It is well-known that diseases of a pregnant woman affect her fetus, and consequently affect his growth.

•  Preterm birth: It is very common that giving birth to babies before the completion of embryonic stage and before the completion of body functions usually lead to the failure of these functions after birth.

•  Geographical environment: We notice that the child who lives in physical environment includes fresh air and beautiful nature such as the country or mountains grows better than a child who lives in crowded cities.

Moreover, growth passes by several stages, they come in the following order:

1- The embryonic stage: Begins from the moment of fertilization passing by the development of an embryo up to birth.

2- Breast feeding stage: It takes place during the first and the second years when a child becomes able to recognize his mother.

3- The stage of early childhood: It extends until the third, the fourth, and the fifth years of age when a child starts to discover the world more and more and his capabilities develop.

4- Medium and late stage of childhood: It starts from the age of six and ends up in the age of twelve during which a child starts to be independent from his mother bit by bit and starts to form a private community for his own including friends after entering school.

5- Adolescence stage: It starts from adulthood and differs from males to females. Females reach the stage of adulthood before males, and this stage is deemed to be very important because a teenager is known, sometimes, for recklessness, rashness, and lack of estimating matters well. Therefore, the family in this period has to be keen to observe teenagers, treat them well, and keep away from cruelty and rebuke because this method shall increase their stubbornness and recklessness. The best thing the family should do during this period is trying to approach and befriend them.

6- The stage of youth: It starts in third decade of age and this stage is the stage of building and giving where the power of society depends on its power and the awareness of its youth.

7- The stage of senility: It starts at the end of youth stage and depends on average ages in the society. In the third world countries, it starts in the beginning of seventies, whereas in some European countries like Italy, it begins in nineties.

It is necessary to know the stages of growth and factors which affect each stage because establishing societies today is based on the sound construction of these promising generations, understanding, and analyzing their requirements to build a sound society in addition to learn how to deal with all stages and characters with which you shall deal in every stage.