Child and juvenile growth

Abstract The periods of early (ages 2–6) and middle (7–11) childhood is nonetheless an important period for long-term developmental and health outcomes. These periods are characterized by changing body proportionality and composition, rapid brain growth and maturation, and hormonal development. Environmental factors shaping growth, particularly the rate of linear growth and adiposity gain, during this period may have long term impacts on cardiometabolic health, cancer risk and cognitive function. This chapter reviews the main characteristics of childhood and juvenile growth, describes factors contributing to variation in growth during childhood, discusses current health challenges for children, and concludes with a discussion of why childhood may be an important period shaping long term health. The importance of linear growth for long term health and the associated consequences of undernutrition on cognitive development and academic achievement suggest that this period should not be ignored. Further, the importance of childhood obesity in the establishment of unhealthy weight trajectories and cardiometabolic risk highlight the critical importance of nutrition and physical and social environmental context experienced during childhood for shaping long-term health.