Growth spurt

The first years of man are from Growth spurts which mainly cover the period between birth and the age of eight. During these relapses, the child makes significant developmental steps.

What is a growth spurt?

A growth spurt is a leap in child development. Doctors distinguish eight growth spurts in the first two years of life. A surprising number of new skills develop in this short time. The body becomes more functional and the senses get better and better.

The growth spurt can be very stressful for the child, and sometimes it also causes pain. The multitude of experiences a baby has during this time can overwhelm them, making them cranky or very clingy. Often children develop hunger during their growth spurt. This natural need arises because the body now also needs more energy.

All children, except premature babies, experience the same growth spurts and should be supported by their parents. The brain develops rapidly between the 5th and 26th week. New skills are added every day and everyone is noticeably improving.

If you realize that the baby learns countless skills in less than two years, you can imagine that this will cause them to experience stress. The body changes dramatically. Parents should therefore often fool their child. Proximity and warmth make it easier for the baby to cope with every thrust.

While the growth spurts of a baby are rather small, puberty represents a serious growth spurt. Above all, it brings with it hormonal changes. Some development steps also take a longer period of time and are not completed with a growth spurt.

Function & task

Most of the most momentous growth spurts in humans take place in the first year of life. During this period, a close emotional bond develops between parents and child, which is very important for a stable psyche and later self-confidence. In the family, you survive highs and lows together, which strengthens cohesion.

A growth spurt lasts differently and ranges from a few days to three to four weeks. On average, it is over in three days. Weeks again pass before the next attack.

In the first growth spurt from the fifth week of life, the baby shows increased appetite and has to be breastfed more often. The second growth spurt takes place in the eighth week of life. Now the baby wants to stay close to the parents and begins to struggle.

The third growth spurt takes place at three months. All of the baby's organs, including its stomach, enlarge and become very hungry. The fourth growth spurt begins around week 19. In this period of almost 6 weeks, the baby learns that several actions flow into one another and can lead to amazing results.

From the 26th week on, the fifth growth spurt takes place, which many parents hardly notice because the previous one has exhausted all of their strength. Now the baby has learned a lot physically, can usually turn, begins to crawl and babble.

From the 37th week the child begins to move. This is also the point in time when it should learn the difference between yes and no. From the 47th week the baby shows violent tantrums and gets more and more dexterity.

From the 50th week on it is moody, often starts to strangle again and makes the first attempts at running. Depending on the individual predisposition, a child can grow several millimeters during the night.

The head circumference also changes in phases. The first three growth spurts of the head are also enormous mental leaps in development of the baby.

Growth spurts are not only reflected in greater body size. They occur throughout development, with puberty being a very large episode.

Illnesses & ailments

In human development there can be delays or deep cuts in growth due to many influences. Impairments to the senses such as hearing or visual impairment can often be compensated for with glasses and hearing aids.

Mental impairments are not always easy to recognize and require longer treatment. Often, premature infants have difficulty keeping up with their peers even after birth due to their developmental deficits.

In many cases, the differences will dissipate over time. However, there are very strong disturbances on children, which are determined by the environment. If children are aggressive, weepy, unfocused and restless for a long time, this can indicate a delay in development. In older children, learning difficulties, problems speaking and slow thinking can also occur.

Many diseases can lead to noticeable impairments in development. Infectious diseases, but also accidents, can hinder mental and thus physical development. The long-term consequences cannot always be averted.

Developmental disorders are most noticeable in children with intellectual or family disabilities. Violence in the family, poverty, alcohol abuse, insecurity and excessive demands affect the healthy development of a child. The extent can even be substantial. Last but not least, it can also be seen in physical development, which is clearly recognizable from the ability to express yourself.

Even if there is violence among the parents, the child suffers social and various cognitive developmental impairments. Then mental health is compromised by post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result of social difficulties at home, many children show aggression, poor cognitive development, poor concentration and a low willingness to learn. In these cases, child psychological treatment is recommended in order to relieve them of the fear of experiences and to enable them to act with confidence.