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Infant Development

Decent Essays

Life. Without life there is no existence. Starting from the zygote to the embryo and then the fetus, this is a critical time for the development of the soon to be infant. Studies have shown that the prenatal period is the most important period for neurodevelopment in the womb. For many years the aim to promote a healthy pregnancy stemmed from the pregnant woman maintaining a balanced nutrition, low to moderate exercise, and staying away from stress. Pregnant women are also encouraged to protect themselves against harmful toxins and common life stressors to lower the risk of the child being under developed physically and cognitively. According to the National Institute of Health, “maternal consumption of essential fatty acids during pregnancy …show more content…

Infant stimulation in the womb, infant stimulation after birth and a stimulating environment are vitally important factors as a child grows for primal growth and development.
There has been constant debate between society as a whole, pediatricians, avid researchers authors and scientists that reading and playing music to the baby in the womb will not contribute to the development of their cognitive skills. According to Zigler, Finn-Stevenson, and Hall infants are not born with a “blank slate” but with the ability to interact and learn from the environment using sensory and perceptual skills (p. …show more content…

“Cognition represents a complex set of higher mental functions subserved by the brain, and includes attention, memory, thinking, learning and perception” (as cited in Nyaradi, Li, Hickling, Foster, Oddy 1). The building blocks of nutrition include enzymes and neurotransmitters that are necessary for optimal growth and development. Many studies have shown that the lack of micronutrients such as folic acid, vitamin B12, iron and zinc, just to name of few, are leading causes of malnutrition. “There is evidence that malnutrition can impair cognitive development, whilst breastfeeding appears to be beneficial for cognition. (Nyaradi, Li, Hickling, Foster, Oddy

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