Have you played with your baby today?
The importance of brain development in infants.
By Cortney Gibson
The human body can do amazing things. We are born with endless possibilities. Although some aspects of our identity are encoded on our DNA, our environment is the single most important external factor in determining who we are to become.
We start as a cluster of cells, grow into a recognizable human fetus and finally develop into a (hopefully) full-term baby, ready for birth and the world that awaits us. Long before birth, the body is hard at work assembling the hundred billion neurons that will be present at birth. Those neurons are the nerve cells of the brain. Combined with synapses, which are the connections between the cells, the neurons provide an opportunity for rapid growth and learning in the first months and years of life.
Stimulation creates the neural synapses that enable the brain to build a foundation on the cells that are being used and eliminate ones that are not. This is powerful information for new parents and caregivers alike. When it comes to the infant brain, it is quite literally “use it or lose it”.
Newborns are stimulated in all sorts of ways that encourage brain development. Parents and caregivers can think of these in terms of the five senses; smell, sight, sound, touch and taste. For adults, the following examples may seem simple and boring, but for a newborn, these are amazing, brain-building experiences. Some will lead to cognitive development or fine and gross motor skills. Others will be the foundation for social, emotional and communication skills. While other experiences will be the basis for pre-academic skills such as, counting, sorting and measuring.
Sight, for example, will aid in forming many neurological connections. Although their vision may be a little blurry, newborn babies can see the contrast between light and dark shapes. They prefer to focus on human faces in the first weeks of life, but are soon able to track objects with their newly coordinated eyes. Each new visual experience builds synapses. Repetition of these experiences makes those connections stronger and eventually permanent.
Although she will prefer your face to toys, try showing your newborn a simple black and white graphic, like a checkerboard, lines or large dots. It doesn’t have to light up, move or play a tune. Simple toys are best at this stage. Your baby’s brain will be hard at work, solidifying the neural connections, every time she studies these simple images. After a few weeks, you can slowly move a toy, such as a rattle, back and forth in front of your baby. At first, she may move her head toward the object, but not be able to control her movements. Eventually, she will have more control and will be able to smoothly follow the moving toy. This is called tracking and is another way you can help build your baby’s brain.
Parents and caregivers may feel silly “playing” with a newborn baby. It’s hard to imagine that such a little baby can learn so much just from daily interactions. We sometimes forget that each moment is an opportunity for learning and bonding. Your little one isn’t “just a baby”. He or she is capable of learning, growing and developing right before your eyes. Everything your baby is exposed to now, will not only effect the way he or she learns in the future, but also determines the capacity in which he or she can learn.
Touch is also essential. For babies, the touch of their parents and caregiver is a vital component of development. Babies need human touch to thrive. The devastating effects of little or no human contact in orphaned babies are conclusive. We desperately need to feel safe, loved and valued. Amazingly, cuddling and massaging an infant are just as important as reading and singing to him.
Any parent can learn to massage their infant in a safe and beneficial way. Start by choosing a time of day when the baby is content. Sit on the floor with the baby on a blanket or towel in front of you. If you choose to use massage oil, do so sparingly and only apply it to your hands, not directly on the baby. Only use oil designed for Baby’s sensitive skin. Make sure your baby is warm enough throughout the massage and stop if the baby becomes agitated. There are many books, videos and classes available to teach specific techniques, but the most important thing to remember is to make eye contact with your baby while you gentle massage his legs, arms, and torso. Talk to your baby and watch for his reaction. Be sure to stop or change techniques if your baby starts to fuss or becomes agitated. These nurturing experiences of eye contact, talking, and gentle touch are the building blocks for social, emotional, and communication skills.
These are just a few of the thousands of opportunities we have to form an emotional bond with our babies and to set in to motion a chain of events that will inevitably impact their physical and emotional development. Have you played with your baby today?