What causes a growth spurt?

Growth spurts in young children happen when the bones and muscles go through rapid growth, and growth spurts in teenagers happen due to hormonal changes during puberty. There is no set time that a child will go through a growth spurt, but most growth spurts happen during the first 12 months of life and during the early teen years at the onset of puberty.

Signs of a growth spurt include increased hunger, an increased need for sleep, outgrowing clothes that recently fit and possible complaints of pain in the joints or muscles. Hormone-related growth spurts can also lead to changes in behavior or attitude.