Baby Brain Development
and How to Build a Better Brain

NEUROSCIENCE IS DISCOVERING THE ASTOUNDING POWER PARENT'S HAVE OVER BABY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

Brain scientists are surprising us all with discoveries that show that the vast power that we wield over our baby's brain developmentit is nothing short of astounding. In fact, we have the actual abilitiy to stimulate specific brain cells, to intentionally create very beneficial neural pathways, and to effect the chemical balance in our children's brains.

It is no exaggeration to say that the neural hard wiring rapidly occurring in your child's brain during the time it takes to read a bedtime story book and cuddle a teddy bear creates positive effects that will last a lifetime! Particularly when that book's message has to do with building self esteem or human values.

Never before in our history has there been such a wealth of brain research as in recent years and as one exciting discovery follows another we are realizing exactly how immense the opportunity is for us to help our children’s' brains create the neurochemicals needed to develop their potential, and for us to train our children’s' minds right from birth for higher performance in critically important ways.

90% of the development of a human brain occurs in the first five years of life and in these critical years, science is learning how, why, when, where and in what ways those millions of brain connections are developing a child’s brain as a direct result of life's experiences and, above all, by his or her emotional experiences with you.

Being read an uplifting story in close intimate moments at bedtime, for example, is prime baby brain development time.

ACTIVATING SPECIFIC BRAIN CHEMICALS TO ENHANCE BABY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
How we express and experience intimacy with our child and receive it from him is a matter of great importance to his brain development, and his ability to express love and caring. A child who experiences feelings of love teaches his brain how to create key “feel good” brain chemicals that are vitally essential to developing brain cells and forming brain structures.

These opioid chemicals, such as oxytocin and prolactin, are released by the pituitary gland inside the brain specifically to stimulate development in areas of the brain that governs “caring” and “social sensitivity”. A loving moment between parent and child at story time instantly turns on a flow of heady neuro-chemicals in the brain, which results in making the child feel peaceful and secure, while at the same time “growing” the brain.

Other areas of the brain are triggered by opioids to release dopamine (another feel good neurochemical), which stimulates a burst of brain development as it creates new neural pathways in the primitive instinctual lower brain as well as in the more cognitive frontal lobes.

Numerous studies have shown the connection between a child’s psychological strength and that child’s ability to activate brain opioids (producing feelings of emotional warmth and wellbeing) and dopamine (which produces feelings of aliveness, purpose and confidence).

Surprisingly, this brain activation and development does not happen automatically in a child’s brain until it is “taught” to do it. Activation can only come about as the result of parenting that intentionally triggers these chemical responses in the brain, and as the result of providing the child with opportunity to care for and express love to objects of affection in his life.

Continue to Part Two of Baby Brain Development as we talk about activation methods a parent can do to actually hard wire self esteem and higher mental function in a child's developing brain.

Brain Development in Children, Continued