A new study has found that children grow faster during the school year than they do when they are on summer vacation. School is a vital place for children to be, and they are learning academically and socially. They are learning the basics, like reading and arithmetic, but they are also learning some important social skills. They are learning how to work with their peers, how to problem-solve, and how to be a fair and kind person. School is all about growth, but not much thought has gone into how much physical growth happens during the school year.
We know that children are always growing, but when do they grow the fastest? According to Medical Xpress, a new study was done that may be showing us that children grow faster during the school year than they do in the summer holidays.
The study was published in the journal, Frontiers, and it can be read in full here. It is based on the idea that children are at higher risk of putting on more weight, and even becoming obese, during the summer months. They are snacking more and maybe participating in more sedentary behavior.
However, this research has shown that children grow faster over the school year, and this is meant in height. Since there is a relationship within BMI that looks at the ratio between body weight in kg and height it means that if a child grows fast vertically it is going to increase BMI over the summer.
The study was done by looking at the results from a 2013 study that followed more than 350 students at 41 different schools. They found that children’s height increased faster over the school year than in the summer, and they grew an average of .055 cm a month during the school year. While this may not seem like a lot, it is for growing children.
When they looked at height gain over the summer, they found that the growth rate was -0.1 cm a month, quite a difference. Since they are not growing taller over the summer but maybe putting on slightly more weight, it can mean that they are not balanced. Their weight is not balanced by height growth, and this could be an indication of childhood obesity.
It is another great reminder to parents to make sure their children are getting a lot of physical activity over the summer, and they are not snacking too much.
Sources: Medical Xpress, Frontiers