Growth Check for Small Children

Written by: WFWP-Cambodia

WFWP Cambodia has worked hard to introduce and implement growth checks for elementary school students and health exams for adults as a proposal for a better work environment in Cambodia. On September 2, 2023, WFWP members conducted growth checks for even smaller children, from toddlers to preschoolers between the ages of 1 and a half to 4 years old. If children’s health conditions and developmental status can be regularly tracked, it will lead to disease prevention and early detection of any disease.

The participants this time were children in rural areas, and so their physical values are not intended to be compared with international standards. Rather than that, WFWP focused more on confirming the developmental status of cognitive abilities, gross motor skills and fine motor skills. For example, by the age of 1 and a half, children typically begin to remember and actually pronounce the names of things. They will start playing with toys and trying to use spoons and cups on their own even if they are not good at handling them yet. At the age of 3, a child’s language is more developed, they can use their hands and fingers more effectively, and they can play pretend (play house, play store etc). WFWP members asked parents and caretakers if they were doing these things in their daily lives and had their children draw some shapes, jump on one leg, recite words using short-term memory and so on.

However, the primary purpose of this activity was not to test children, but to inform parents about what skills and behaviors their children should be expressing at what ages. WFWP hopes that through this the parents will find ways to be more creative in interacting with their children, not just letting them sit around, in order to help develop their children's cognitive and physical abilities. WFWP believes this activity serves as an opportunity for each child to grow to be more culturally rich.