SOME CHILDREN MAY OVERGROW WHILE GROWING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 6, 1 July 1949, Page 7

SOME CHILDREN MAY OVERGROW WHILE GROWING

(By the Department of Health)

Bodily thinning-out is the normal thing from about five years onward. From eleven upwards, other things have to be taken into account because of the important changes during puberty. Such changes are more noticeable in girls than in boys. ■ Growth is normal. From this point of view, there is no such thing as “overgrowing one’s strength.” Growth always comes first. Strength follows it, catching up some time in the later stages. But we must watch, particularly in the case of boys, the tendency to make greater tax on the body during the noticeably rapid growth period than the body can stand. It is wise to be beware of allowing a boy in his early teens to play football and cricket on full size fields or pitches or to go in for longdistance running. One of the greatest risks of quick growth •is the development of bad posture. Quick growth* of bone temporarily upsets the balance of the body. Holding a long back straight and upright calls for more muscular strength than does a short back. Tall children often find difficulty in keeping good posture. Round shoulders can be cured only by use of Nature’s machinery —the muscles of the back, shoulders and abdomen. Sound games and exercises should be encouraged and parents should see that children at home have a balanced diet and plenty of sleep. Train the child to keep his shoulders and back straight. Prevention is as important as cure.

Another important thing is that, whether a child is growing upwards or sideways or- both, greater strain is coming on to the feet. To avoid the flat feet so commonly developed in early teens, make sure that the feet first of all are not called upon for unnecessarily hard work and that they are properly shod. Strong, roomy shoes will do the job, and foot exercises should be specially encouraged along with postural ones both at school and at home.