The very first year of a child's life is a period of incredible changes. During this time, babies, grow on average 10 in (25 cm) in length and usually triple the weight they were at birth.
Given this kind of growth to start with, parents might worry if the child then seems to slow its growth rate drastically. There is, however, no need to worry, as children do not continue the rapid growth rate they exhibited during infancy. After their first birthday, most babies slow considerably in their growth. By the time they are 2 years old, their growth in height typically slows to a relatively steady rate of about 2½ in (6 cm) a year until they reach adolescence.
There is no child, however, that will ever grow at a perfect, steady rate throughout the whole of its childhood. Weeks, sometimes months may pass without serious visible growth. Then, all of a sudden, a growth spurt has them shooting up several inches in a very short time. For some reason, they seem to grow particularly well in spring, often considerably faster than the rest of the year!
Puberty, usually between the ages of 8 and 13 years for girls, and a little later, between 10 and 15 years for boys, often brings on one last, major spurt of growth. Puberty can last from 2 up to 5 years. Growth spurts during this period are associated with the adolescent's sexual development. This will include first appearances of underarm and pubic hair, the development and growth of sex organs, as well as the onset of, to start with possibly irregular, menstruation in girls. By the time kids reach an age of about 15 to 17, the growth cycle should end for of them.
