Normal Development (Baby Care)

The ratio of growth of babies varies and there is quite a wide normal rate.

The rate at which a child grows is due to both genetic and environmental influences. If the parents are both short, the growth development with regard to height may be slower than that seen in the child of tall and thin parents. However, a tall or short grandparent will also influence your baby’s height and weight.

Environmental influences such as nutritional deficiencies and serious illnesses may have a temporary or permanent effect on the development of your baby.

Your doctor or baby clinic has access to the normal average weight and height charts for the growing years of life and will be able to reassure you that all is well with the development of your baby.

Right throughout the development or growth period of life there can be growth spurts and slow downs. These generally occur in adolescence but can appear in the early months or years of a baby’s existence. Sitting up, crawling and walking can also be a worry to the parents. The timing for these various stages of development can vary within quite a range. It sometimes helps to find out when you yourself or your husband began to sit up, to crawl and to walk.

Speech development also varies. Some children are very quick, others might be slow in starting. Such a delay in speaking may be an inherited characteristic.

There are now very effective treatments for children who fail to grow because they don’t produce the right amount of growth hormones. This is specialised treatment which needs advice from your doctor and a specialist endocrinologist. Your doctor should be consulted if you are concerned about a serious growth disorder in your child.