Original photo by Sharomka/ Shutterstock
If you think the son/niece/grandchild in your life is sprouting before your eyes now that the winter clothing has been shed, you're probably not imagining things. Researchers have long studied the connection between seasonal changes and youth growth patterns, with substantial evidence pointing to higher rates of growth among children in the Northern Hemisphere during the spring and summer months. While we might question results drawn from, say, a 1930 publication, newer research has validated these older findings: A 2015 study of 760 Danish students aged 8 to 11 revealed the most growth recorded around April and May, while a 2022 paper, which tracked the development of thousands of Texas kids from kindergarten to fifth grade, confirmed strong growth rates in spring and early summer.
Oops, incorrect!
It's a fibAlthough our noses and ears appear to get bigger as we age, it's just because they're comprised of soft cartilage. The connective fibers in skin and cartilage weaken over time, leaving these body parts susceptible to the elongating pull of gravity.
But while we have the numbers to show that children shoot up like springtime onion stalks, the science is less definitive when it comes to determining why. One possible explanation is that exposure to longer hours of sunlight may stimulate bone growth and hormone regulation. Other potential factors, which can vary according to location and financial means, include increased access to fresh foods and healthy activities come springtime. Whatever the reasons, the onset of warmer weather should provide a signal to parents that Junior will likely grow out of those pants and shoes sooner rather than later.
Numbers Don't Lie
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During sleep, children get a boost of the ______ hormone secreted by the pituitary gland.
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During sleep, children get a boost of the human growth hormone secreted by the pituitary gland.
Children gain the most weight in summertime.
While this may seem counterintuitive, given all that frolicking in parks and pools, several studies indeed show that children add the most pounds in summer. So what gives? It may simply be a sign of the technology-fueled times: Instead of chasing after friends, kids nowadays often prefer to engage in video games or other sedentary screen activities when not in school. Some experts also believe that the lack of a school day structure may be to blame: With children less likely to wake up at a regular hour, and parents less likely to enforce strict bedtimes, the irregular sleep patterns that follow end up disrupting the circadian rhythms that impact eating habits and digestion.
Tim Ott has written for sites including Biography.com, History.com, and MLB.com, and is known to delude himself into thinking he can craft a marketable screenplay.
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