Re: How would space travel affect a child of any given age?

A brief introductory note to others reading this:  The requestor is a 
teacher writing a new curriculum and there is significantly more 
information being provided to her than could be reasonably be expected to 
be placed here.  I will answer the basic question asked here plus a little 
more.  

We will start with the youngest and work our way up to the oldest.  As for 
the idea of sending a pregnant woman into space, I seriously doubt that 
this will occur without significant changes in technology and the way we 
achieve orbit.  It would be very, very unpleasant to subject a pregnant 
woman to the 3.3g's experienced during a space shuttle launch.  Remember 
that the shuttle is considered "soft" with respect to g's during takeoff.  
Example: Friendhip 7 experienced almost 7g's during ascent if memory 
serves.  If takeoff methods change radically (along the lines of the X-31 
or X-33 vehicles) resulting in a much lower stress on ascent, it may be 
possible to someday launch a pregnant woman...PROVIDED adequate medical 
care were available/possible.  (Think small hospital in space.)  

As for pre-pubescent children, this may provide some dificulties that are 
insurmountable as well.  With all the data from the Russians on the 
long term effects of space flight on the human body, it suggests that the 
body fairly well imitates aging at a very high rate following prolonged 
exposure to microgravity.  This is the result even in the face of 
significant physical exercise for about an hour every day.  While a child 
is developing (growing up) he/she needs to gain muscle mass, grow organs 
and increase bone density.  Precisely the opposite of what happens in 
space.  How this would affect a child in the long term is unknown, but the 
basic feeling I get says it could be quite unpleasant.  The possibility of 
sending a child to perhaps a colony in terms of a short duration flight 
(say to the moon) in not entirely out of the question.  Also the 
possibility of building a ship or space station capable of creating 
artificial gravity would aleviate this problem.  Clearly these are problems 
I'd like to try and solve, but likely won't get to any time soon.  

Post-pubescent children are in escence just like adults and with a careful 
review of the normal risks assumed by any astronaut, should be possible.  

I would be remis to neglect one other factor outside the physiological 
response of people in space.  That would be the radiation risk posed by 
space.  We often forget that we have only a few miles of shielding above us 
(namely air) to protect us from the bulk of the high energy particles and 
cosmic rays that continuously bombard earth.  Plenty still get through, but 
most of it is stopped in the atmosphere.  I'm working on collecting data on 
radiation doses recieved by astronauts.  Clearly the people with the 
highest doses are those astronauts and cosmonauts that served abord MIR, 
the Russian space station.  Speaking as a Radiaiton Safety Officer, I know 
that the doses received are not trivial, however they are not severe in 
any way.  The debate I see is this: I work under the Nuclear Regulatory 
Comission's rules on radiadtion exposure.  I have set limits that I would 
be allowed to expose a member of the public to and must adhere to them with 
unwavering tenacity.  As a radiaiton worker, my limits are much higher (and 
safe!), but the restrictions for minors remains.  Astronauts and certain 
military personnel have yet higher dose limits as they are expected to 
assume a higher risk for the job they chose.  The reason for the 
restrictions on minors is a radiobiological one.  It is known that cells 
undergoing rapid division and growth are more suceptable to radiaiton 
damage than slower growing cells.  This principle is used to treat tumors 
and cancers with radiaiton.  The resulting dose to the affected area will 
kill far more tumor/cancer cells than healthy normal cells and help the 
body fight the disease.  Since a growing child is a veritable factory of 
rapidly growing cells, we as safety professionals choose not to expose 
children to unnecessary doses on the basis of that hypothesis.  Additional 
shielding on the aformentioned and as yet unbuilt station/spacecraft, could 
serve to limit this factor.  Who knows?  Maybe some day we will develop a 
sort of electromagnetic shield to protect us on long journeys.  (When I 
dream, I dream of Star Trek, ok?)  

For further information on this project/curriculum you may wish to contact 
Ms. Kaisler at IMSA. 

Thanks for a cool question!