Don't argue in front of the children. Bickering parents who create an atmosphere of tension in the home could be affecting their children's growth and health. Children reared in a stressful environment do not achieve their full adult height, scientists at the Royal Free Hospital in London have found.

Their growth is stunted because at critical times in childhood their bodies are bathed in stress hormones, which reduces the amount of growth hormone.

One theory is that the body doesn't waste energy growing if running away is more important. If the children are removed from the stressful environment in time, their growth hormone levels recover, they resume normal growth and reach their full height. However, these children are also more likely to suffer high blood pressure as adults, putting them at higher risk of heart disease and strokes.