Although genetics plays an important role in defining height, experts warn that child growth goes far beyond family inheritance. Food, sleep quality, physical activity, emotional health and even excessive screen time can directly interfere with children’s development.

According to Dr. Pedro Andrade, researcher and doctoral candidate at the University of São Paulo (USP) and founder of the Genome Institute, the child’s organism constantly responds to the environment in which it is located. “Childhood is one of the most sensitive periods of human life. The body and brain are learning daily how to interpret the world. A child does not grow just by genetics. They grow in response to the environment”, he explains.

In recent years, international studies have reinforced this relationship. An analysis published in the scientific journal The Lancet, which evaluated data from more than 65 million children and adolescents in 200 countries, showed that environmental and socioeconomic factors have an important impact on children’s growth trajectories.

For Dr. Pedro Andrade, the concept of healthy growth needs to be expanded. “Parents often associate height solely with family genetics, but growth depends on a complex combination of factors. Inadequate sleep, a diet poor in nutrients, chronic stress, a sedentary lifestyle and metabolic inflammation can limit a child’s development potential,” he says.

Sleep, nutrition and growth hormones

The doctor highlights that growth hormone is released mainly during deep sleep. Therefore, poor sleep can directly affect physical development. “Sleep is one of the most neglected pillars of infancy modern. Children who sleep little or have excessive stimulation at night end up impacting hormonal functions that are fundamental to growth, immunity and brain development,” he says.

Food also plays a central role. Ultra-processed diets, excess sugar and a lack of important nutrients can harm both growth and metabolic health. “The child’s body needs nutrients to build bone, muscle and neurological tissue. When the diet is inflammatory and nutritionally poor, the body prioritizes survival, not ideal biological performance”, points out Dr. Pedro Andrade.

Excessive screen time and sedentary lifestyle worry experts

Another point of attention is the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of children. Long periods in front of screens, low sun exposure and little physical activity can interfere with hormonal and metabolic health.

“Children need movement, natural light, social bonds and real stimuli. excess screens changes sleep, behavior, attention and even eating habits. All of this influences global development”, warns Dr. Pedro Andrade.

Healthy growth goes beyond height

More than centimeters, child development involves cognition, immunity, behavior and emotional health. “[…] When parents deeply reorganize their lifestyle, children begin to change along with them. We notice improvements in sleep, immunity, vitality, behavior and even growth”, he reports.

For the researcher, investing in healthy childhood it is a long-term public health strategy. “Perhaps the greatest investment a society can make is to build better childhoods. A child who is metabolically inflamed, sleep deprived and disconnected from healthy habits doesn’t just lose health, they lose human potential”, he concludes.

By Daiane Bombarda