Infant Brain Development

A significant element in a child’s life is a relationship with their parent and central to this is the aspect of infant-mother bond (Cook, 1999). Parents play a critical role in modeling the adult lives of their children. A research on early brain development revealed that early intervention of warm and receptive care given to children is critical for their growth. It is vital to encourage and offer optimum care for the young children. The way a child is nurtured is a factor in their early brain development. Positive nurturing care and love towards children in their infanthood up to around 6 years results in a positive brain growth (Tribble, 2012). With both parents working, adverse effects on child development may be experienced. Children

The infants physical development starts with the head and then moves to other parts of the body. From the very beginning babies are very curious and are ready to start exploring. Infants necks are unable to support the weight of the head when the baby is sat up straight. They are able to turn their heads left to right when laying down. Infants are able to close their fist.

The development of a child in the first year of life is extremely intense; in just 52 weeks’ an infant goes through major physical, cognitive and social and emotional developments.

According to (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013), the brain begins to mature even before birth and it continues to mature throughout life. According to (Jetha & Segalowitz, 2012) all the brain functions do not mature at the same rate. A child with highly advanced verbal skills may develop gross and fine motor control more slowly and have trouble learning to write clearly (Jetha & Segalowitz, 2012). Learning differences are also related to genetics, temperament and environment (Thierry, 2008). As child born it has a function govern like their heartbeats, eating and sleeping.

A common teratogen that causes problems in pregnancy is the use of methamphetamine, a stimulant that affects a person’s central nervous system, by the potential father or mother. Research on methamphetamine abuse among pregnant women is in progress and has been for several years, but the exact effects of prenatal exposure to this drug are still actually limited. It is common for a child of a mother who used meth during pregnancy to have brain development problems. The National Institute on Drug Abuse(NIDA), (2013) informs us that there have been only small samples of pregnant women researched for only using methamphetamine, therefore, the results are limited to knowing that “neurobehavioral problems such

The article “Your Child’s Brain” by Sharon Begley focuses on defining the key factors in the development of a child’s brain. Our brains consist of millions of neurons and at birth some neurons have predetermined roles, and the rest of the neurons in our brain are saved for assignment and are used later in development. Shaping and molding your brain and the connections it makes are extremely vital to a human’s development, and all begins at the fetus stage of pregnancy and is extremely important from child birth and throughout infancy. Every interaction an individual receives can affect that individual forever. Once the brain begins to develop in an individual, a timer in the brain commences.

Due to modern medicine, there are many ways that pregnant women can now see how their fetus is growing inside them. The woman’s egg travels down the fallopian tube entering the uterus. It is fertilized by the sperm and its home for the next nine months. There is a long process before the baby arrives into the mother's arms. This is the beginning of conception and the development of the baby.

Having a child for the first time can be overwhelming for a woman. With pregnancy comes an array of unexplained emotions and fears we were otherwise unaware of. How much should I eat? What should be the optimum body weight to keep my child healthy? How can I ensure that my child is getting sufficient nutrition?... and the list goes longer and longer each month.

Infant learning and brain development is fragile and contingent upon numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The most critical time frame for infant brain development is from the second trimester to the first three months of life (Marshall, 2011). During this time, neural pathways are forming, areas of the brain are maturing, and brain development is rapid. From infancy until the age of 3 years, neural pathways are still being formed in response to stimulation and for this reason, it is extremely important for caregivers and parents to be aware of the many factors that can influence brain development in infants (Marshall, 2011).

Technological advances in the past decade have allowed scientists to study the brain in ways that have led to new understanding about how young children develop. There is a new understanding of both the capabilities and the vulnerabilities of infants and young children and that understanding is has influenced the work of caregivers and teachers. During pregnancy, the basic architecture of the brain is formed. Although, certain experiences do influence the developing brain during pregnancy, such as maternal health and stress, intake of drugs and/or alcohol, and quality of maternal nutrition.

The infants benefit, since the music helps prepare the brain to think in a special way. According to Dr. Diane Bales, in his article called "Building Baby's Brain": The Role of Music ", this structure stimulates the same patterns in the brain that are responsible forrazonamient .the Music also plays a positive role in skills language. According to Ann Gadzikowski, coordinator of the Museum Child in Chicago, there is a strong connection between the development of language and musical skills. To develop both language and musical skills, we must learn to Audits identify

When babies are born, their brains are ready to learn. As they learn, their brains grow. This helps them learn about the world around them. This also gives them a chance to explore the world around them in new ways. Exploring and trying things out is how babies learn. Although brain development is natural, there is a lot more to it than developing on its own. Brain development comes from moms, dads, siblings, aunts, uncles, caregivers and just the people around the babies. We help babies learn about the world around them. We give babies chances to touch, taste, see, hear, and smell as they can. We give them chances to do and learn many of things. We just have to do the right things that support brain development, such as, being caring and supportive, paying attention to the babies, giving them what they need, and providing a rich learning environment. In this essay I will focus on what babies and toddlers need from caregivers for normal brain development.

Advancement made in regard to cognitive neuroscience has enabled a better understanding of the cognitive processes in infants. Studies have indicated that cognitive development in infants starts before they are born. In the eighth week of pregnancy, fetuses have the ability to hear. They become accustomed to their

Infant development is inseparable from the progression of the infant’s relationship with caregivers. Contemporary accounts of the early comments highlighted the role of parents and other guardians in supporting infants gradually (Lyons-Ruth & Zeanah, 1993). This is because the infant needs parents who can help her negotiate the developmental task. Thus, there are 4 stages to develop which is birth to 4 weeks, age 1 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months and 6 to 12 months.

During the first two years the brain is the most flexible and prepared to learn. At this time everything is new. Everything an infant does build brain connections. According to EDUCARER.org "Touch, talking and things an infant sees and smells all build connections if done with continuity in a loving, consistent, and