Child Crafting

Physical growth of the brain from birth to adulthood

Babies are born with super dense brains, having billions of brain cells. The connections among brain cells are called synapses, and are what allows learning to occur. These synapses developes with environmental stimulation and inputs. However, they are destroyed if not used. Emotional distress also have a detrimental effect on the development of synapses.

Infancy is a period of rapid, decelerating physical growth. This includes the growth of the brain too. This is why it is so important to stimulate the brain from the very beginning. A typical 3-year-old has twice the number of synapses—connections among brain cells—as an adult. This is because after age 3, children lose synapses they do not use.

What does this mean for parents?

Parents should provide intellectual and language stimulation-talking, singing, reading to, and playing with infants. Be cautious not to stress your child as it would be counterproductive. Also, nurturing and responsive care should be provided to facilitate attachment. By cuddling your child and aiding them whenever necessary, positive emotional bonds can be established. These bonds not only enhance feelings of security but will also protect infants’ brains from damaging environmental influences.

According to educational experts, children spend only about 16% of their time in school while 84% is spent under home influence. The percentage of time spent at home is greater when the child is younger. Learning does not begin when your child walks through the classroom door. Learning begins at home.

You may not control the physical growth of the brain, but you can determine what goes into it!

“The brain is wider then the sky” - Emily Dickinson

Latest research seems to indicate that babies have brains as sophisticated as the most powerful supercomputer, and have the ability to absorb an unbelievable amount of knowledge. New research also concludes that a substantial amount of brain development continues to occur during the earliest months of life.

An embryo’s neural tubes start to develop as early as four weeks. From then billions of neurons or brain cells form throughout the pregnancy. During the nine months of gestation, the connections between these cells called synapses also multiply rapidly thus forming the physical framework which allows for learning to take place.

“We’ve found that by the time a child is about 13 months old, she can remember certain events for at least eight months after they occur and some current data suggests that they remember even up to a year later,” said Patricia Bauer, PhD, associate professor at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis. William Greenough, PhD professor at the University of Illinois acknowledges that ‘the actual physical wiring of the brain is susceptible to experience’.

For babies, the first year of life is the crucial period that has a tremendous impact on brain development. It is during the first few months that the brain’s wiring is fine-tuned, and excess cells and synapses - typically those that have never been used - are eliminated. Thus, children brought up in a less challenging envrironment actually have less synapses than those reared in highly stimulating envrionments.

-Excerpt from a special feature of Motherhood magazine

 What does this mean for parents?
Everything you do, from holding, singing, talking, cuddling and playing is registered in your child’s young mind. You play a pivotal role in creating an environment that enables your child’s brain to develop to its maximum potential. Breakthrough research has shown how experiences during the first years of life profoundly influence intelligence, creativity, language development-and even later reading and math skills. So what can you do?

A baby’s brain can absorb information efficiently, but the child must be ready for it. You must be cautious not to trouble a child by pressuring him/her to do what is unachievable at their current developmental stage. Do not be too worried about your child’s performance as he/she will perfect it at their own pace.

Here are a few things you can do

Read and sing to your child - Babies responds easily to sounds and rhythms. This fosters reading readiness.

Imitative games and activities - Babies love to imitate those around them.

Initiate bedtime conversations - Build your child’s memory and sense of personal history.

Develop “Baby Signs” - Help your toddler communicate before he or she can talk.

Introduce toys - Nurture your child’s creativity and problem solving skills