Show
CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams.
Diagnosis of a growth problem must be made by your child's physician, and the method will depend on your child’s symptoms. In addition to a complete medical history, physical examination, and asking about the heights and any health problems of the child’s relatives, diagnostic tests may include: It’s important for growth problems to be diagnosed early, since the earlier the diagnosis, the more effective treatment may be. What treatments are available for growth problems?If a medical condition causes the growth problem, treatment of that condition may alleviate the growth problem. Your child's doctor will determine the best course of treatment, which often involves hormone replacement therapy. Your child's treatment plan could include daily or weekly injections. Fortunately, this therapy often produces significant and reassuring growth. During the first year of therapy, children with growth hormone deficiency see an increase of an average of 4 inches, and this number is slightly less for children with other growth disorders. Growth problems may make your child feel insecure or self-conscious, and if appropriate, we can put you in touch with mental health professionals to help with any negative feelings your child may be experiencing. How safe is growth hormone therapy?While there are many potential side effects, researchers generally agree that treatment with human growth hormone is safe and effective. In 1985, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a biosynthetic growth hormone, thus:
Before starting school, your child probably had little interest in stepping on the scale or standing by a tape measure. That changes when kids begin to compare themselves with their school friends. Between the ages of 6 and 11, your child will likely gain an average of six to seven pounds each year, grow a little more than two inches each year, and increase in head size by about one inch. The new inches or pounds may be added in “mini” growth spurts, usually lasting several months and occurring several times a year. The truly noticeable change in your child will probably be associated with the first signs of puberty. For girls, breast development may start as early as 8 years, although 10 is the average. For boys, enlargement of the testicles and thinning and reddening of the scrotum, (the pouch of skin that holds the testicles) marks the beginning of puberty. Male puberty may begin as early as 9, although 11 is the average. During these years, children of the same age are frequently at different points in their growth and sexual development. Cognitive DevelopmentThe first 12 years of life are prime time for learning. Experiences actually change the structure of the brain. During early childhood, the developing brain is busy forming multiple connections between nerve cells. These connections function much like the “wiring” of a computer. Each new experience results in a new connection. By age 3, your child’s brain should have twice as many connections as an adult’s. Connections that are used repeatedly become very strong. Connections that are used infrequently are eliminated. This “use it or lose it” principle is Mother Nature’s way of helping each child adapt to his or her own environment. When connections are eliminated, the ability to perform a particular function is easily lost. For example, in the first months of life, an infant is able to distinguish several hundred spoken sounds, many more than in any single language. As the infant adjusts to his or her native language, the connections for sounds not used in that language are eliminated and the infant can no longer recognize such sounds. School-age children have replaced magical thinking and prelogical thinking with concrete logical thinking. A number of other mental processes are required for success in school. Children need to be able to sequence, or put things in order, and have an understanding of time. School-age children need to be able to pay attention for fairly long periods of time (45 minutes by age 9) and filter out all unimportant distractions. They also need to develop their own tricks for memorizing and recalling information on demand. SleepWith each passing birthday, your child will require a little less sleep. Some kindergarten children need 12 hours of sleep, but most require 10. By age 11, most children can get by with nine hours of sleep. The test is daytime sleepiness. Bedtime routines, such as a bedtime story or reading in bed for a half-hour before “lights out” can help your child relax. Although bedtime can be an ideal time for a heart-to-heart chat, avoid stressful topics to prevent sleep disturbances. SafetySooner or later all parents begin to wonder, “Is it safe to leave my child home alone?” There is no one age when every child is mature enough to handle the responsibilities of staying safe and taking care of oneself. Some children are ready as early as 11, others as late as 15. Use these questions to help think through the various considerations. Begin with the question, “Does my child want to stay home alone?”
In addition to these questions be sure to also consider these questions related to safety:
Emotional maturity is also something that should be considered:
If your child is interested in staying home alone, and if he or she appears to be mature enough, then it is time for a training session or two. Make sure your child can do the following things…
DisciplineIt is important to establish rules for your child for when they are home alone. You can add to the following:
There are a number of other precautions to consider. V-chips that block programs inappropriate for children are available in newer television models. Check your television’s instruction manual. If your television does not have a V-chip, check with your local electronics or appliance store for information about possible installation of this type of device. If you have a computer, you might want to consider blocking access to specific Web sites, such as those that may be too mature for young eyes or chat rooms and bulletin boards where dangerous people may lurk. Check your computer program manual and with your Internet service provider for assistance. Telephones can also be programmed to block calls with specific telephone number prefixes that are associated with inappropriate call-in lines. Check with your telephone service provider for more information about blocking such calls. Be sure your child knows to keep the house key safe and out of sight and when to locate a spare key in an emergency. Top 12 Facts You Should Know about Middle Childhood
|