Raising a child can become easy for parents if they know how to do it the right way. It is important for parents to understand the factors that affect the growth and development in children. Now, one might question how these two are different from each other and what affects the overall development of a child, physically, mentally emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

The growth of a child in simple terms can be defined as the increase in the size of an individual and the other biological changes taking place. These changes can be measured and noticed in an individual. Development of a child takes place when a child learns to speak, draw/write, his/her cognitive and thinking ability takes place, their problem-solving capacity enhances, and involvement in social interaction starts taking place.

There are different stages at which the development of the child takes place. There is a certain set of abilities that a child develops at specific ages. Like a child starts speaking and walking at the age of 12 months. Let us discuss in detail as to what are the factors that affect the growth and development of a child.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN

The major factors that affect the growth and development of a child can be categorized into three parts. viz.
Biological factors like genetics/heredity, mental health, health, hormones, gender, etc.
Environmental Factors like Socio-Economic status of parents, geographical influence, nutrition, etc.

Interpersonal Relationships
Biological Factors
Genetics/Heredity

Genetics/Hereditary is a biological inheritance is the transmission of physical characteristics from parents to children through genes. Most of the physical characteristics such as height, body structure, eye colour, hair texture, etc. are impacted by genes. Not just that, intelligence and aptitudes get transferred to children through genes. Some hereditary factors influence the body formation of children like tall parents are likely to have tall offspring. Genetic & chromosomal disorders also affect the growth & development of a child.
Physical and Mental Well-Being
Another factor that falls in this category is the physical and mental well-being of the child. A healthy lifestyle and regular exercise are important for physical well-being. Besides one should focus on activities that enhance the mental development of the child.

Environmental Factors

Socio-Economic Factors
The socioeconomic status of the family impacts the quality of the opportunity a child gets. Compared to not-so-well-off families, families with good socioeconomic status can send their child to a good school that is expensive but will benefit the child in the long run. To maintain the socio-economic condition, parents work day and night which might again affect the growth and development of a child in a negative way.
Nutrition
Nutrition is one of the major factors that affect the growth and development of a child. Nutrition deficiency leads to diseases that adversely affect the growth and development of an individual. While malnutrition has adverse effects, overeating too leads to various health problems.
Geographical Influence
The geography of the place where the child is born and raised also influences the growth and development of the child. More the opportunities the child gets where his family is settled and where he is growing and studying, the more exposure they will get and the more confident they come out to be.

Interpersonal Relationships

The interpersonal relationship of the child with peers and adults also impacts the growth and development of a child. It is in the best interest of the parents to make their child develop a good-relationships with peers and adults.

To sum up, we can say that there are not just one but several factors that are responsible for the growth and development of a child. From gender to the financial status of the family, the relationship of family members with each other, nutrition, availability of opportunities, education, schooling, society, and peer group; all impact the development of a child so parents need to take utmost care about these factors.

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