According to Better Brains for Babies, the brain of a human is not fully developed at birth. But brain development does begin during pregnancy, according to Diane Bales, Ph.D. at The University of Georgia. Dr. Bales also states that the first three years of life is when cells make the most connections with other cells.
Prenatal
A baby's brain begins forming early in the womb. Development begins about three weeks after conception, but is still developing, at least in part, throughout an entire lifetime. According to Zero to Three, the brain is far more impressionable early in life than it is later in childhood and through adulthood.
Plasticity
Neuroscientists refer to the brain's ability to develop as being plastic. This means that a child's brain is more open for learning and enriching as it grows. However, it also means that the brain of a young child is more vulnerable to developmental problems. Scientists solidly believe that developmental problems could arise from a poor environment during these critical brain development years.
Critical Period
Neuroscientists theorize that between birth and school years, the brain overproduces the important connections that it needs for proper brain development. Through gaining and losing the connections through life, the brain reacts to the child's environment, keeping the more environmentally important connections.
Milestones
All babies will develop at their own rate, but there are milestones to watch for to know if your baby is developing properly. Many milestones are directly related to proper brain development. Milestones are guidelines to follow when monitoring your baby's development. Individual doctors may have different opinions about when an infant or toddler should reach certain milestones.
Senses
According to the March of Dimes, the most important things to watch will be the senses. By a month old, an infant should hear well and recognize some sounds, including his parents' voices. By a year old, a child should be able to say a few words, crawl, sit without help, walk while holding onto furniture, and try to imitate words.
Communication
Use proper communication and checkups with a physician to monitor milestones, but more importantly, to monitor brain development. Noticing early that there is a problem, or that there could be a problem, is important. Early intervention and proper environment are key factors in the brain development of a child. Your family physician or pediatrician can easily recognize warning signs, as well as monitor brain development.
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