Factors That Affect Growth And Development

Factors Affecting Growth and Development

Prepared by: Lovelyn M. Mataac

1. Heredity

Heredity is the passing on of characteristics from parents to their children.

Healthy children grow and develop faster than sickly children.

2. Health

Health means being physically, mentally and socially fit.

Children inherit some physical characteristics from parents. If a child inherited shortness, he or she will be short even with the proper nourishment.

A child who is healthy grows and develops faster than the one who is sickly.

3. Food and Food Habits The body needs different kinds of nutrients

for growth, energy and repair. The body needs different nutrients;

carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Carbohydrates and fats provide the body with the energy needs. Proteins provide the materials for growth and repair. Vitamins and minerals keep the body in good condition. Water is essential for metabolism and for bowel movement. It also determines the amount of blood in circulation.

Minerals are nutrients that are needed for building strong bones and teeth, for helping the nerves work, for regulating growth and for the clotting of blood.

Metabolism refers to all the activities going on in the cells so that they can absorb food and produce energy.

• It is important to practice good food habits that are necessary for one’s health. When one is healthy, he or she grows and develops fast.

4. Good Food Habits• Eat plenty of food from grains and

cereals. They are the food that give you energy.

• Eat protein-rich food. They are the foods that make you grow.

Eat fruits and vegetables. They are foods that regulate your growth. Some vegetables are good if eaten raw. Others should be lightly cooked so that their nutrients will not be lost.

Eat less fatty, salty or sweet foods. Too much of these can cause illnesses.

Drink plenty of water. Your body parts need water to do their work.

Eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet has the right kinds of food in the right amount.

5. Good Health Habits Keeping Clean-make cleanliness a habit.

Take a bath daily. Wash your hands as often as needed. Brush your teeth. Be sure to clean your nose and ears. Keeping yourself clean can keep off some germs that caused diseases.

Exercise-your body also needs exercise. Exercise makes your muscles strong. It also improves your flexibility and makes your heart, lungs and other body parts work efficiently.

Playing is also an exercise.

Rest-while you need exercise, you also need rest. Muscles get tired when they overworked. When your muscles are tired, they cannot work well.

Rest after work or play. You rest when you sit down and read a book or listen to music. Sleep is a form of rest.

6. Diseases Some diseases may affect babies before they are

born or at birth. These diseases may affect some parts of the body like the brain, in which case the child may become paralyzed or mentally retarded. Blindness may also affect development of physical and social capabilities of children.

Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects a person’s movement and posture.

Immunization means injecting into the body a weakened form of germs.

SOME DISEASES SLOW DOWN ONE’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

7. Rest and Recreation

• Recreation- an activity engaged in to restore strength and spirits after work.

• It is an activity done for enjoyment.• Recreational Activities-Activities that

you do voluntarily because you like it to.

Rest and recreation help a child develop Rest and recreation help a child develop physically, mentally and socially.physically, mentally and socially.

8. Family and Surroundings

Children grow up in a family. What children experience in the family affect their growth and development. Children who are loved grow up with a feeling of security. If their physical, emotional and social needs are provided

For, children grow up to be well-adjusted and confident of themselves. Negative experiences in the family may affect children.

Surroundings affect children. If the place they live in is polluted, children are likely to be sickly.

Family affects the growth and development of children. A small family can meet its basic needs.

Surroundings affect the growth and development of children. A clean surrounding is good for one’s health.

Answer the following with a Yes or a No. Answers only.

1. Eat fruits and vegetables daily. 2. Practicing good food habits will make us

healthy. 3. Rest after work or play. 4. proteins are nutrients that come from both

plants and animals. 5. Foods which contain vitamins and minerals are

called Glow Foods.

6. Children inherit their neighbors’ characteristics.

7. Inherited traits can affect one’s growth and development.

8. Cerebral Palsy is injected into a body. 9. Diseases and defects can affect one’s

growth and development. 10. Rest is doing what you like.

B. Write Rest or Recreation

1. Playing “taguan” with friends and neighbors.

2. Sleeping under the tree. 3. Playing badminton. 4. Making sketches of cartoon characters.

Write Good or Bad.

1. Living in a polluted surrounding. 2. Playing with stray animals. 3. It is right to drink contaminated water. 4. Healthful surroundings are free from

garbage and junks. 5. Parents of a small family cannot provide

the needs of the children.