Transcript

SPEAKER:

Look at these young children. They are similar ages. They are very different thanks to genetics, what they eat, where they live, a whole range of factors. The growth time span is unique for every individual, although it usually stops between 18 to 25 years, and can be measured very accurately, either by parents or carers often on the back of a door.

These two children are called Todd and Amy. Here's their average growth between the ages of one and five years. Todd is one year old. When measured against a door, you can see that he is 75.7 centimetres. On average, girls are slightly shorter than boys at all ages up to adolescence. Until puberty starts, there isn't much difference in growth rate between boys and girls. It's about 5 centimetres per year.

Now, let's look at Amy. At 1 year of age, she is 74.1 centimetres. At 3 years old, Todd is ready for nursery and stands at 95.2 centimetres. In 2 years, his height has increased by 19.5 centimetres. At 3 years old, Amy stands at 94 centimeters. In 2 years, her height has increased by 19.9 centimetres.

At 5 years old, Todd is at school age and his height is now 109.2 centimetres. In 2 years, his height has increased by 14 centimetres. At 5 years old, Amy's height is 107.9 centimetres. Her height has increased by 13.9 centimetres. Let's take a final look at Todd and Amy from 1 to 5 years old to see how much they've grown and the differences in height.

Todd and Amy show you the average growth rates of children between 1 and 5 years of age. But growth happens in a uniquely individual time span. And there will always be differences in the height and size of young children caused by a range of factors like their genetic makeup, diet, and environment.