Nurturing Young Minds: Jump-Starting Your Infant's Brain Development

Introduction

As parents, we have an incredible responsibility to support and nurture our children's development, particularly during the crucial early years. The first few months and years of a child's life are a period of rapid brain development, laying the foundation for future learning, socialization, and overall well-being. By understanding the key factors that contribute to infant brain development and employing stimulating activities, we can help jump-start their cognitive growth and set them on a path of lifelong learning.

  1. Establish a Secure and Nurturing Environment. The environment in which an infant grows plays a vital role in their brain development. Creating a secure and nurturing atmosphere sets the stage for optimal cognitive development. Ensure your child feels loved and cared for by providing consistent and responsive caregiving. Regularly engage in activities like cuddling, talking, singing, and gentle play, which foster a strong bond and help develop neural pathways associated with emotional well-being.

  2. Encourage Sensory Stimulation. Sensory experiences are essential for infants to explore and make sense of the world around them. Offer a variety of stimuli to engage their senses—touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell. Provide colorful toys, interesting textures, and safe objects they can grasp and manipulate. Expose them to different sounds, music, and nature sounds. Take them on outings to explore nature or visit age-appropriate sensory play areas. By stimulating their senses, you support the development of neural connections and lay the groundwork for cognitive and perceptual skills.

  3. Foster Language and Communication. Language development is closely linked to brain development in infants. Engage in regular verbal interactions with your child, even from the earliest stages. Talk to them while changing diapers, bathing, or feeding, describing what you're doing and asking questions. Read books with colorful illustrations, using expressive voices and gestures to capture their attention. Sing songs and nursery rhymes, as rhythm and melody aid in language acquisition. Respond to your child's babbling and gestures, encouraging their attempts at communication. These interactions promote language skills, enhance social-emotional development, and build the foundation for later literacy.

  4. Promote Physical Activity and Motor Skills. Physical activity and motor skill development go hand in hand with brain development. Encourage your infant to explore their surroundings by providing a safe space for crawling, rolling, and eventually walking. Offer age-appropriate toys that promote reaching, grasping, and manipulating objects. Engage in tummy time activities to strengthen their neck and core muscles. As they grow older, introduce activities that involve coordination, such as stacking blocks, playing with puzzles, or imitating actions. Physical movement helps develop neural connections and supports overall cognitive development.

  5. Ensure a Healthy Diet and Adequate Sleep. Proper nutrition and sufficient sleep are essential for optimal brain development. Breast milk or formula provides the necessary nutrients for a growing brain. As your child transitions to solid foods, offer a variety of nutrient-rich options, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Establish a consistent sleep routine, ensuring they get the recommended hours of sleep for their age. A well-rested and well-nourished infant is better equipped to learn and develop.

 

Every interaction and experience shapes an infant's brain development. By creating a loving environment, providing sensory stimulation, fostering language and communication, encouraging physical activity, and ensuring proper nutrition and sleep, we can jump-start our child's cognitive growth and set them up for success in their future learning and development.

Remember, each child is unique, and their development unfolds at its own pace. Embrace the journey, enjoy precious moments, and be a supportive guide in your child's exploration of the world.

Photo by Melisa Figueroa on Unsplash

Study Suggests Long Terms Health of Babies Affected by Covid 19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on many people in a variety of ways, even babies. For babies born during the Covid19  pandemic, a JAMA study suggests, the log-term health problems has the potential to be lifelong.

The first three years of life are crucial for brain development in humans. But it’s not just the health of babies that it affected, but the interactions between babies, parents and other would be caregivers. Babies need to be touched, spoken to, swaddled, smiled at, played with, stimulated and loved. As they respond to those interactions, neural connections are constructed in the brain. Without those interactions, an infant's brain doesn’t develop and grow as it should.

A stressed out or depressed parent or caregiver may find it hard to find the time and energy required to give the child's brain the love, stimulation and attention it needs to develop. There are many studies showing that poverty, maternal depression and other factors can change the development of a child's brain forever.

 

Methodology

As part of an ongoing study of babies and their mothers, researchers from Columbia University studied the development of three groups of 6-month-old infants. Two of the groups were born during the COVID-19 pandemic; the mothers of one group had COVID-19, while the mothers of the other did not. The third group was a historical cohort (a group of babies who were born before the pandemic).

Mothers participating in the study used an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) to record their babies’ development and evolution. The researchers noted no difference in the development of the two groups of babies born during the pandemic, suggesting that prenatal exposure to COVID-19 doesn’t affect development, which is good news. But babies born during the pandemic scored lower in gross motor, fine motor, and social-emotional development than the babies born before the pandemic. Examples of developmental tasks for babies in this age group are rolling from back to tummy (gross motor), reaching for or grasping a toy with both hands (fine motor), and acting differently to strangers than to parents or familiar people (social-emotional development).

 

Infant Development during COVID

It’s just one study, and we need to do more research to better understand this, but the findings are not really surprising given what we know about infant development. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of stress — emotional, financial, and otherwise — for so many families. It has also markedly affected the number and kind of interactions we have with other people. Babies are on average interacting with fewer people (and seeing fewer faces because of masking) than they did before the pandemic.

Even though we need to do more research, this study should serve as a warning for us as a society. The children of this pandemic will carry scars forever if we don’t intervene now. We’ve already seen the emotional and educational effects on children, and we need to be aware of the developmental effects on babies too. The stakes are too high to ignore the research.

 

What Can be Done?

We need to find ways to financially and emotionally support families with young children. We need to be diligent, energetic and creative, and work every angle available. And even if our government can't help out enough and play a role, our communities and individuals must take up the slack.

And parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers need to know about this research — and ask for help. It’s understandable and natural for parents to think that babies are too small and unaware to be affected by the pandemic. But they are affected, in ways that could be long-lasting. Talk to your doctor about what you can do to help yourself, your family, and your baby’s future.

Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash

Pregnancy Beauty Basics

When you’re pregnant, it’s not uncommon to want to make up for swollen ankles and other less desirable symptoms with a fresh face of make up and a new hair ‘do. But keep in mind that the ingredients in your beauty products, if absorbed into the skin, may reach the placenta and could pose a risk for your new baby. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on looking glam until post-birth. Just be sure to steer clear of the below, and, if in doubt of a product’s safety, ask your doctor.

Skip it: Hair dye Expecting new moms should try to avoid dying or chemically straightening their hair when pregnant, as the ammonia fumes could harm a new baby during the first three months of pregnancy. If you must change your color or touch up your roots, do so after the first trimester in a well ventilated space, and ask the stylist to avoid touching your scalp with the chemicals.

Skip it: Nail polish

The phthalates in nail polish have been linked to birth defects, so it’s best to wait until after the first trimester to get a manicure or pedicure, when the risk to your new baby is much lower. Acrylic nails should also be avoided when expecting. Need some color before then? Reach for a phthalate-free nail polish instead.

Skip it: Hairspray

Hairspray also contains phthalates, and considering you spray it by your face, it’s very easy to breathe it in. Instead, keep your hair in place with a mousse or gel during your pregnancy.

Skip it: Acne creams

Expecting new moms should avoid prescription acne medications, as they can increase the risk of birth defects. If pimples pop up during your pregnancy, try to use a gentle face wash and switch to oil-free makeup. If that doesn’t work, ask your doctor about what acne face washes may be safe for your new baby.

Skip it: Teeth whitening products

The jury is still our on whether the peroxide, the active ingredient in teeth whiteners, is safe during pregnancy, so it’s best to skip this one. If your pearly whites aren’t looking so, well, white, use a brightening toothpaste instead. And don’t forget to floss and brush regularly during pregnancy. Good dental hygiene is good for your smile and for your new baby’s health.

It’s not always easy for new moms-to-be to give up go-to beauty routines, but keep in mind that sporting your natural hair color or not-so-perfectly-white teeth is best for your new baby. For now, skip the scary stuff and wear your pregnancy glow instead.

Baby Items to Keep Your Baby Happy at Each Stage

Before my son was born, my husband and I made the prenatal pilgrimage to register at a big box baby store for all the baby stuff we thought we’d need. We were excited, overwhelmed, and just a little bit skeptical. Would we have room in our apartment for tricked out swings and bouncers? How could there be so many variations on the pacifier? Did our little guy really need all this baby stuff? Turns out, he was indifferent to some items, like the ubiquitous lovey blanket, and totally tickled by others.

Here, the go-to baby items that kept our baby -- and his first-time parents -- happy throughout his first year.

0-3 Months

Pacifier My reluctance to introduce the pacifier -- for fear my son would be screaming for this addictive baby item at age three -- quickly subsided when our pediatrician endorsed it as a great way to soothe a fussy baby and help him to sleep. Pacifiers may also help reduce the risk of SIDS, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. So now we keep a few in the diaper bag and by his crib.

Activity Mat Now that our son has conquered that baby development milestone of walking (or more like running) around the house, it’s hard to remember that our baby ever hung out exclusively on a round piece of fabric in the family room. For the first three to four months he happily played beneath the soft, padded arches of his activity mat, swatting at colorful, dangling toys, or strengthening his back muscles during tummy time.

Car Seat-Stroller Combo Baby items come with a lot of straps. It may seem like you’re constantly clicking and unclicking, locking, and unlocking. Enter the detachable car seat and stroller in-one, which lets you transfer your tike -- from the car to the stroller and back again -- while he’s still happily nestled in his car seat (so you’ll never have to disturb him from his nap).

4-6 Months

Swing In the early days, my son was mostly unfazed by this particular baby item. He couldn’t focus on the mobile swirling above him, and even the lowest setting was a bit too fast. But as he packed on the pounds, he found his swing sweet spot. The rocking motion and music helped soothe, entertain, and coax him to sleep whenever he refused to nap in his crib. Plus, it gave me a few precious, hands-free moments.

Toys to grasp Once your little one finds his fingers (one of the cutest baby milestones!), between four and seven months, he’ll be reaching for the remote, your earrings…you get the idea. My son was crazy for a lightweight ball we found that had plenty of large holes his fingers could grip. He also loved to hang onto colorful linked rings that doubled as teethers and pliable plastic rattles.

Floor Seat When I first put my son in his floor seat, which helps your baby into a seated position, his eyes lit up. This was a baby item he could get on board with. Propped up in this new pose, he also had a fascinating fresh perspective on life. Look for baby seats that have straps, detachable toys, and that can double as a booster seat for meals on the go.

7-12 Months

Exercise Gym In the months before he developed his walking skills, my son’s activity gym was one of the baby items at the center of his universe. He loved to pull up to a standing position and explore the keyboard, mirror, and other toys, which made pleasant clicking and clacking sounds. Our gym came with a detachable seat, which rotated around the table. My little one loved to propel himself in circles, and I loved that he could get his legs working without leaving the room.

Stuffed Animal My son’s stuffed monkey is practically a member of the family -- he dines with us on occasion, gets kisses at night, and travels with us on family vacations. While it’s important to keep stuffed toys and other objects out of the crib during the first year (to reduce the risk of SIDS), Monkey’s always been game to demonstrate how to brush one’s teeth, play peekaboo and lay perfectly still for a diaper change. He’s a comfort and constant companion -- in other words, perfect as far as baby items go.

Photo by kids&me Germany on Unsplash

A Fun Variation of Peekaboo

Location: Indoors or outdoors

Promotes: Cognitive development, fine motor skills, object permanence

If you’re looking for a new baby activity to engage your little one, this peekaboo game is sure to be a hit. Watch in wonder as this simple baby game strengthens all kinds of developmental concepts and supports your child toward reachingan important baby milestone.

How to play
Your 7- to 9-month-old baby will rediscover her favorite toy in this twist on peekaboo called peek-a-bear. Take a treasured toy, like a teddy bear, and partially hide it under a blanket. Then urge your baby to find the bear. If she’s able to, let her grab for the bear; if not, pick it up yourself and exclaim, “I found the bear!” Repeat the game as long as you can hold your baby’s attention. The trick is to build excitement over finding the toy, since your baby will feed off your glee during this baby activity.

Tricks and advice
As your little one progresses with this baby game, raise the bar by hiding the toy completely under the blanket. Make sure that as the difficulty increases, your praise does, too! Change things up by hiding different toys -- this may boost your little one's interest in the game and can also help develop early language recognition.

Learning and growing
Object permanence is crucial to your baby’s understanding of the world. Baby activities that establish that Mommy is still around even if she can’t be seen are an early step toward developing your baby’s memory. This activity also encourages motor development, as your child uses hand-eye coordination to reach and grasp for the hidden toy.

What you’ll need
It’s easy: All you’ll need is a blanket or towel and a toy your baby will delight in finding.

The game is simple, but it’ll work wonders in terms of your baby learning more about the world. And she’s sure to have a blast while doing it! 

Photo by Ana Tablas on Unsplash