Page 11 - LESSION 6.pmd

Growth and Development

mother’s blood to transport oxygen to the foetus. Caffeine is also likely to cause
abortion, still birth and premature birth of the child.

¾ Environmental Pollution Notes

You will be surprised to know that environmental pollution is another factor that
affects prenatal development. Exposure of pregnant women to environmental
pollution can seriously affect the developing foetus. For instance, pregnant women
can absorb lead from car exhaust, paint flaking off the walls in old houses and
other materials used in industrial establishments. The high levels of lead exposures
are consistently linked to prematurity, low birth weight, brain damage and slightly
poor mental development during the first two years. It may also lead to a variety
of physical defects.

Other Contextual Factors

Certain contextual factors such as socio-economic status of a child’s family,
their living conditions, family structure, child rearing practices and the society
at large also impact growth and development of children. Let us read more about
them.

¾ Socio-economic background
Children from different socio-economic backgrounds may vary in terms of their
growth and development. This is on account of factors like nutrition, number of
illnesses and overall standards of health. Lack of opportunities and exposure,
especially in early years, lead to a lag in certain aspects of development.

¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ Living conditions, illness and accidents
If living conditions are poor, children may suffer from a variety of diseases leaving
them with stunted growth and development. Some homes lack proper sunlight
and ventilation. Unhygienic living conditions within homes and outside make
children susceptible to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid and many
other ailments of the stomach. Respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases are
frequent among many children brought up in an unhygienic environment which
may even prove fatal. Children who grow up in unhygienic conditions are also
likely to catch common illnesses like measles, chicken pox, whooping cough,
diarrhoea and diphtheria. These illnesses may be mild or prolonged in a particular
child, but they are most likely to affect growth and delay development.
Other than these, accidents due to lack of safety measures and negligence may
lead to physical and intellectual impairments.

¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ Family structure

The changing structure of the family from joint to nuclear has decreased the
number of persons including children and grandparents that children interact with.
This has an impact on their development including their socio- emotional
development.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION 85