BUSY BRAINS Karen van Zyl Everything you need to know about how your child’s brain develops and what to do to give it more vavavoom!
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Carefully protected in its little shell is the brain, a mighty and powerful, but at the same time, very fragile organ. In many ways a miracle of creation.
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Many people think of the brain as only the home of the mind, but it is much more than that. Your child’s brain controls his whole life, from his emotions through to his motor abilities, language development, imagination & social skills.
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According to Dr Melodie de Jager (2004:11) a newborn baby’s brain is well developed to survive in the safe warm, moist and nourishing environment of the womb, but the brain is not developed enough to function in any meaningful way in the real world. It is predominantly in the pre-school years that the brain develops at a staggering rate. During this period, you can do a lot to ensure that your child’s “control centre” works optimally so that your child can reach his full potential. The BabyGym Programme guides parents and other primary caregivers in ways to optimize baby’s struggle to learn through exploiting the vital early
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life opportunities. It will show you how to make every parent/child moment count. Dr de Jager (2004: 11) refers to BabyGym as an “operator’s manual”, specifically geared towards baby’s brain development, for parents-to-be or new parents. A very clever computer
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When all goes well during pregnancy, the brain of a newborn baby retains the structural and developmental genes that it was endowed with at conception to program the building and development of the brain. (de Jager. 2004:18)
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Your child’s brain consists of different parts, each with its own function. Most people’s left side of the brain is responsible for language (written & spoken) and positive emotions such as happiness & love. The right side controls spatial orientation (to read a map, judge distance or to recognize shapes) as well as negative emotions.
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The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and vice versa. Your child’s movements are controlled by a part of the brain called the cerebellum or small brain. Other parts are responsible for things like creativity and abstract thinking and emotions.
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Each of your child’s brain parts specializes from birth in a certain direction. However if one part is damaged, then the brain has the means to take over the functions of the damaged parts. The younger your child the greater the brain’s ability to adapt.
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The brain exist of about 100 to 200 billion small nerve cells that stores and transfers information.
There are pathways between these nerve cells that transfers information. Almost like an electrical signal with a current. The number and organization of these pathways influences everything from your child’s ability to recognize letters to his emotions.
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Brain building occurs through the division of neurons (nerve cells) that carry the messages between parts of the brain through bio-chemical reactions to receive, process and transmit information.
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The more the synaptic connections are exercised the stronger and more stable they will become. It is stimulation and development of the sensorymotor loop that later result in babies experiencing their surroundings, reaching milestones and developing the whole brain. (de Jager. 2004: 19) Your child’s sensory experiences, movements, emotional experiences etc. will be influenced on how his brain develops. Every experience, from the first time your child sees a hippo or a joke that you share, stimulates certain sensory pathways. The pathways that are used often will become strong; those that are used seldom will be pruned away.
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The pruning of these pathways may sound shocking but in fact, it is actually very important. By pruning the ones that are not used often, you are allowing the others to work quicker and more effective.
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For the pathways to really work fast and effective, we need isolation, so that information does not get lost along the way. This happens through the process of Myelination. Myelin is a thick, fatty substance that isolates the cells and helps to transfer messages quicker and more accurate, so that your child can process information quicker.
Your child’s brain development is like a miracle that unfolds and the whole process starts pre-birth.
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Pre-birth
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Within a week after conception, brain cells develop at the tip of the embryo and by 6 months, most of the nerve cells are already present. In the last 3 months of pregnancy, these connections grow and become stronger. The brain cells already send and receive messages on touch, auditory messages and movement. Taste, smell and sensitivity for light also develop in the womb.
The First Year
The brain is the only uncompleted organ at birth. Although most of the brain cells are already formed, most of the pathways between the cells must still connect and become stronger. How these pathways form depends on the newborn’s experiences of his world. The parts of the baby’s brain that are responsible for purposeful thoughts, feelings and voluntary actions are not yet fully developed and therefore the baby is only capable of reflex movements.
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The part of the brain that regulates voluntary movement develops after birth from head to toe, gaining control in the head and shoulders first, thereafter in the arms, body and lastly the legs. Newborn babies’ brain has few myelination sheaves and that is the main reason why babies and young children process information much slower than adults.
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As the baby grows older, different parts of his brain develops at different rates. You will experience that certain skills like physical control develops quicker at certain times, while communication skills pick up at another time.
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The older your baby gets, the more he will explore and express a wide variety of emotions, as the brain is physical, mental and emotional systems mature. On a visual level, your baby begins to focus and track objects with his eyes at 2 months. He can now see colours, experience depth perception and adapt to different distances.
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Between 3-4 months, his vision should be on par with an adult. At this point your baby starts to integrate what he sees, tastes, hear and feel. – We call this process Sensory Integration.
Your baby develops quicker on all levels between six and 12 months and you will definitely see a huge difference in comprehension of what you are talking about, ability to move, ability to learn as well as social skills. All signs that his brain is busy forming new connections all the time.
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During this time, baby’s head will grow quicker than the rest of his body. Billions of new pathways are busy forming within his brain. These pathways are key to your child’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development.
Lisa 6 months
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Your child’s new skills provide new stimulation opportunities. As soon as baby can sit, he can regard himself as “independent” and begin to curiously spread his wings to discover the world around him... Every new experience that he has forms a new pathway in his brain.
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Babies between 6 and 12 months follow a set pattern of gross motor development:
Most babies sit at 7 months
Crawl between 9 and 10 months
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Stand up and cruise between 10-11 months
First steps between 12 and 15 months
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This development of motor ability links directly with your child’s brain development.
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Between 9 and 12 months baby will start, using his senses more to gather information about how to interpret the world around him. Your child can experience separation anxiety during this period because his brain is now able to process that you are gone or that he wants something that is no longer there.
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How can you help? Remember, stimulation is brain food. A baby would rather learn than eat, because learning comes naturally to a baby. However, according to de Jager (2004:21) children do need abundant stimulation, exposure and experience to excite the senses and the brain to enable them to learn with ease. There is a “window of opportunity”, according to de Jager (2004:23). This “window of opportunity is the prime time (milestones) that marks a little one’s developmental progress. For example motor skills progress
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rapidly in kids during the first eighteen months and the window for learning a new language is in the first six years Below are a few stimulation ideas: Babies need to see objects and people that exist in their daily environment. Between 2 and 6 months your baby will enjoy looking at slow moving objects like a mobile, as well as his caregiver’s face while playing and talking to him.
Make sure your baby sees your face and facial expressions.
He loves watching you – make eye contact and smile while talking to him.
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The eyes are justifiably said to be the mirror of the soul, since they reflect a person’s thoughts, feelings and level of brain activity. According to de Jager (2004:33) they are important indicators of what is happening in the brain because the eyes are the only part of the brain that we can see.
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You do not have to go out and buy expensive stimulation toys at this stage; just make sure there are enough for your child to look at in his environment. Give your child a loving, safe environment in which he has the freedom to explore. Lots of positive touch is imperative. The skin is the largest organ in the body. It is therefore crucial that you massage your baby’s whole body as the skin is baby’s highway to relaxation and getting to know her own body (de Jager, 2004:26). Every time you touch your baby the receptors in the skin send a message to the brain to say: “this arm, tummy, back, leg or foot is a part of you.” This is the beginning of your baby’s self-image. Help your child to make sense of his sensory experiences with words, gestures and facial expressions. Tell him what you are doing. Pull your face when eating something sour, show him when something is dangerous.
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Give your child maximum freedom of movement. Encourage his motor development, but do not try to rush it. Allow him to develop at his own pace. Do not let baby sit in a reclining chair or stroller watching TV, as this is not conducive to your baby optimizing the window of opportunity to discover his own body and its competencies, according to de Jager. (2004:39) Dance to the beat of music. Movement is the essential ingredient for near-sensory stimulation. The necessity for carrying, swinging, rocking and turning baby around to stimulate the near senses may be demonstrated by comparing the working of the vestibular system to a “snow globe”. You know those see-through globes depicting a scene
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and filled with water and “snow”? When you shake it the snow is disturbed, sifts down and settles after a while. When a person moves the liquid in the inner ear is disturbed but settles down after a while, leaving you feeling balanced and in control. When the fluid doesn’t settle down easily due to infection or poor development, one is left with a feeling of dizziness, disorientation and even nausea. Near senses are important later in life in terms of planning, organization, resilience and maintaining balance. (de Jager, 2004:38) Lots and lots of tummy time. Tummy time is a must, even if your baby protests a bit. De Jager (2004:31) reminds us that babies have to adjust their breathing when turned from lying on their backs onto their tummies, which can be quite scary for them. Just make them feel supported but don’t give in and return them to lying on their backs. They will soon get used to it. When lying on their tummies babies reflexively start lifting their heads. It is the beginning of a long sequence of events to enable your little one to spell, read and write with ease later.
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One to Two Years
The part of the brain called the hippocampus (also known as the centre of memory) is so far developed at the age of 12 months that your child can remember what happened a few hours ago or even the day before. He will also remember your actions and try to copy it. This means that he can learn from what he sees you doing. You can demonstrate the use of a specific toy, and he will probably not copy you immediately but maybe a week later. He will repeat this action over and over again. The repetition strengthens the pathways in the underlying nerve path and with each repetition; it becomes easier for him to do.
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During this time, new pathways are formed to help your child to move in a more coordinated way. The cerebellum becomes more mature and that assists with timing of actions, language development and comprehension. Baby also starts using his imagination.
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Shortly after baby’s first birthday, he will still walk raising his knees high up in the air, but at the age of two, he should be walking normally.
This improvement walking is the result of continues myelination of the brain’s motor pathways so that messages can be transferred quicker and more clearly.
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How can you help?
Give your child a safe environment in which he can explore.
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React on what he is doing.
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Give him the opportunity to climb over and under things. Make sure there is enough open space available where he can run around safely.
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Your toddler does not need formal teaching to stimulate his memory or thought processes. He needs you to listen to him attentively, chat to him during your daily routine and to be sensitive for that activity that draws his attention and that he enjoys. You can stimulate problem solving and thoughts by being interested in your child’s play and by following your child’s lead when playing. Give him the opportunity to play with interesting and challenging materials such as objects that encourages him to manipulate something or by solving a problem. Do not over stimulate him with too many toys. Go on walks with your child. Not only do his motor abilities get some exercise but also serves as a nice discovery tour for both of you.
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Take your child on outings where he can learn about new places and people. He will want to do thing over and over again. Allow him to do that. Use music, sing along and play along.
Two to Four Years
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The Brain has developed so rapidly by the age of three and billions of nerve cells and trillion connections between cells have formed. This enables your child, to not only see, hear, move, taste and touch, but also to think, feel and act in a certain manner.
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This is a busy time in your child’s life. Language and movement abilities improve dramatically and support your toddler’s intellectual and social development. Relationships become more important. With you as parent as well as with other children. Relationships are the best environment in which your child can learn.
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Another important learning environment is play, more importantly creative and imaginary play. Play allows the opportunity to learn new skills, like problem solving skills, grooming routines, conversations etc. Also allow him some alone time to play.
Around two years, your toddler will have more than a 100 trillion connections – 50 %, more than what he would have as an adult. Although new pathways still form, pruning also takes place at the same time to ensure that existing connections are nice and strong and unnecessary ones removed.
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Myelination continues to play a role between 2 and 3 years, although less intense. The Myelination process helps to make the pathways for language, memory, attention, organization, sensory integration and coordination of movement stronger. It also helps the brain to gain more control over the coordination of fine motor muscles. This is an important skill for building puzzles, pulling up a zip, as well as for the coordination of gross motor muscles important for jumping, running, climbing.
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Your toddler’s ability to dress himself, eating, drinking, washing hands, painting, cutting, and drawing will improve. He will also be able to through and kick a ball, jump on one leg and ride his tricycle.
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Play with your child and use your daily routine to include him in conversations, physical and social activities. Repetition remains important as well as first time experiences. You can now start teaching him to start doing things for himself. Give him enough space to run and play as well as enough opportunities to develop his fine motor muscles by playing with clay or puzzles. Teach your child nursery rhymes. Dance, sing and clap hands to the rhythm of music Allow him to climb on things. Build an obstacle course that he can attempt or use a jungle gym. Expose him to a wide variety of outings.
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How can you help?
5-7 Years The brain reaches 90 % of its adult size by the age of five, and myelination and development slows down. Although the first 3 years is seen as the critical period for brain development, because the brain develops at such a rapid tempo, it does not mean that any further brain development is not possible.
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Your child becomes better with activities that require sensory input with both hands. He will be able to distinguish between a rough piece of paper and a smooth one. His abstract thinking and creativity can also get a boost during this period. A lot of pruning of the connections still takes place during this period and between the ages of 8-10; a child would have less than half of the connections than in his first year. Just as much as an average adult. Your child will respond quicker to commands because neural processing takes place quicker.
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The critical period for learning a language also now ends, and the older your child gets, the more difficult it will become to learn a new language.
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How can you help?
Read to your child and let him read too. This stimulates him in a variety of ways. Not only is he physically close to you, but it also trains his self control, ability to concentrate and stimulates his imagination.
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Let him take part in sport and develop his ball skills. Stage a concert and let your child act out nursery rhymes, sing, dance etc.
Brain Busters
Lack of stimulation. Children that grew up in an environment with no or minimal stimulation’s brains will be smaller as those growing up in a happy environment with lots of sensory experiences.
Malnutrition. Children who are malnourished and suffer from lack of calories and protein in their diet (especially in first two years) can also develop serious behavioural and intellectual problems. For
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example, slow language development and fine motor ability, lower IQ and poor academic performance.
Lead intoxication. Lead, even in very small quantities, is very dangerous and the symptoms can only be seen when the child is between 6 and 8 years old. This can lead to learning problems and can even cause permanent brain damage.
Extraordinary stress in the womb: Continues and regular exposure to too much cortisol (stress hormone) can influence brain development and have an effect on memory and emotions. A safe emotional environment with caregivers that lovingly responds to baby’s needs can protect the brain against this effect.
Abuse and neglect: Abused and neglected children’s brains are 20-30 % smaller on average compared to their peers if they are not touched often and not spoken to a lot.
Exposure to toxins: Early exposure to nicotine, alcohol, drugs, especially in utero, can have a devastating effect on the brain.
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Brain Building Blocks
Your baby is born with a set of instincts and reflexes for survival. Despite all the Who Ha about how to stimulate your baby to make him cleverer, experts believe that the best stimulation is to love your baby and to react on your instincts.
Enough Sleep: There is a very strong link between how much sleep your child gets and normal brain development. The brain must receive uninterrupted sleep to process all the information received throughout the day. Children who does not sleep enough, generally performs poorer in creative tasks 17
and high lever problem solving Loving Touch: Touch literally sends signals to your brain to tell it how to grow and how to make connections. That is why massage is so important.
Interaction with people: Interaction with people and objects is just as important for baby’s brain development as the right diet. Children and babies who are talked to and read to often cope better with communication.
The right food: Good nutrition is one of the best ways to ensure healthy brain development. Good nutrition already starts pre birth and therefore it is recommended that pregnant moms drink a supplement with enough folic acid and iron. The developing brain needs a lot of iron. Babies also need enough iron, that they get through breast milk or formula milk in the first 6 months and later through iron fortified porridge or supplements.
Breast milk contains all the amino- & fatty acids necessary for healthy brain development. Some research programmes indicated that breastfed babies scored better in IQ tests than formula fed babies. During the first 2 years, brain development is most sensitive for nutrition. Because myalination takes place in such high volumes during this period, a baby’s diet needs to include lots of fat. In the first year, a baby needs to get the most of these fats from breast milk or formula milk and there after from cows milk.
Play: Play is linked to brain development, but it is the play experience and not the toy that enhances brain development.
Active learning: It is far better for your child’s learning process if he experience something personally than seeing it on TV for example. Children can get many experiences through watching TV, but the reaction side is neglected and the balance in the brain gets disturbed.
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Movement is one of the most important building blocks for normal brain development. It starts in the womb where the mother’s movements or lack thereof can play a huge roll in brain development. A child must have maximum freedom to move unrestricted as much as possible.
To stimulate babies’ development, it is important to:
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Provide as many opportunities as possible for sensory experiences. Talk about these experiences Repeat experiences Constant use and repetition.
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BabyGym will help you to focus on the formative years from birth till baby’s
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second birthday. These are also the years when you realise that your behaviour and actions speak much louder than your words. You are your baby’s role model and bridge into the future. Resources:
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1. De Jager, M. 2004. BabyGym. Brain & Body gym for babies. Human & Rousseau. Cape Town. 2. Prof Shirley Kokot, educational psychologist, Unisa 3. Baba & Kleuter, October 2006. 4. www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/ 5. www.brainconnection.com 6. www.educarer.com/brain.hm 7. www.lit.co.za
Karen van Zyl, MA (Social Work) Play Therapy, PO Box 10395, Aston Manor, Kempton Park, 1630, Tel/Fax: 011 922 5000 Cell: 082 701 9767, Email:
[email protected], www.pikanini.co.za, Early Childhood Development & Stimulation Consultant, International Certified Infant Massage Instructor, Certified BabyGym Instructor, Certified Baby Sign Language Instructor, Sleep Consultant, Dunstan Baby Language Consultant, Play Therapist
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