What you need to know about growth spurts

Growth spurts are a rapid rise in your child’s height or weight and while they are noticeable in the early years and teen years they are less noticeable at other times.

Between the age of two and four, children grow an average of 2 ½ inches and gain about 4 pounds every year. Their doctor may monitor their growth at checkups by using a growth chart that measures your child’s height and weight in relation to others of the same age and gender.

Growth tends to happen in spurts rather than being steady, which is why it is so aptly named.

When your son or daughter is going through a spurt, you will notice that they are a lot hungrier than normal, are sleeping longer at night or they may be crankier and clingier to you. However, it is important that you don’t put everything down to being a “growth spurt”.

If you find that your child is constantly hungry or fatigued it may be the sign of an underlying problem, so take them to the doctor if you are concerned. Unfortunately, there is not much that you can do when your child is growing other than give them a bigger serving at dinner and put them to bed earlier.

Between the ages of three and five and again in the tween years, children may complain of a dull ache in their legs especially around the calves, knees and thighs. While there is no evidence to suggest that they are caused by the body growing, the pain is real. Growing muscles may feel tight and start to spasm after a lot of activity such as sports or playing outside.

The best way to treat this pain is to use a warm compress on the affected area, massage it, encourage gentle stretching or give them ibuprofen or paracetamol. If the pain is severe, lasts longer than 24 hours or the area is tender get them check out by a GP to rule out other causes such as juvenile arthritis, fractures or infection.

You won’t notice the change in your child’s height or weight during their spurt but you will when you go to put on their trousers and realise that they are a lot shorter than the week before.