Child Growth
Child growth refers to the physical, cognitive, and psychological changes that occur in humans between birth and the end of adolescence. These changes occur in nearly every domain of development, including physical development (height, weight, motor coordination), cognitive development (language, problem solving, memory), and social-emotional development (self-concept, personality, empathy). Tracking child growth is important for identifying physical, cognitive, and social-emotional problems that may require intervention to ensure a child’s optimal development. Growth assessment also allows health care providers to monitor the effectiveness of interventions, such as nutrition and exercise interventions, to ensure positive child growth outcomes. In addition, tracking child growth may be used to detect early signs of chronic physical, cognitive, and social-emotional problems in order to diagnose and treat those problems as early as possible.
← Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry