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* All about Child Brain Development and Early Child Development *

“Brain Development on Children Report”

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Introduction

Did you hear the latest? Everyone seems to talk about “child brain development” these days! Child brain development is a term that describes new research and data about the critical importance of children’s earliest mental experiences. You might have read about child brain and its importance in newspapers, magazine or even on a web page. It is also possible that you will be hearing it just now. Whatever the case, child brain development is the hottest topic now!

Good and early experiences are critical for your children’s success, both personal and professional. Psychologists, academicians and childcare experts from around the world are approving this fact, while extended research conducted all over the world on child brain development, is stressing on why the role of parents in raising a smart and intelligent child is so important.

Established research on child brain development shows that the parenting care that a child gets shows dramatic and visible effects on it develops, learns, and in what manner it reacts to the external world. In other words, right kind of care and parenting methods in a baby’s early years can decide the degree with which the brain development takes place. The first three years of a child’s life are extremely critical to the emotional, intellectual, mental and scholastic development. These are the years when you can see more than 75% of brain growth completing.

How brain is developed?

Starting from few cells at the tip of an embryo, brain cells multiply at an astounding rate: about 200 billions of cells are created in several months. Much before your child is born, the entire mass of nerve cells he or she will ever own would have been formed. At birth, the infant's brain has 100 billion brain cells, also known as neurons; are formed but not yet connected in networks. These nerve cells are loose volume of unconnected and unattached electrical wires. Right from the time a child is born, his or her brain will constantly work hard to connect these wires. However, what compels these wires connect together and what does it mean to a growing child?

How developed is the brain by birth?

At birth, the brain is remarkably unfinished. Why do babies begin life this way? One answer is an unfinished brain offers an important benefit to your baby. The fact that the brain matures in the world, rather than in the womb, means that young children are deeply affected by their early experiences. These experiences actually affect the way children's brains become "wired". It lets them form networks of brain cells in direct response to the world.

From the moment babies first open their eyes, they are born ready to learn, explore and be stimulated. Researchers now confirm that the way you interact with your child in the early years and the experiences you provide helps to connect these neurons and shape the developing structures of the brain. These neurons will grow and connect with other neurons in systems that control various functions like seeing, hearing, moving, and expression of emotion.

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Roles played by ‘gene’ and ‘environment’ in brain developed?

Scientists discovered that the power of a brain grows in direct relationship with the number of cells it has - ‘The secret is in the total number of brain cells and the number of connections between them’. Gene plays an important role in forming all the 100 billion of brain cells and the connections between all these cells in different parts of the brain. Having 100 billion cells puts the human brain into a class by itself compare to other living species. At eight months, gene determines a baby’s brain to have about 1000 trillion connections. After that, they gradually decline and half the connections die off by age ten or so, leaving about

500 trillion that last through most of the life.

While, it is the ‘environment’ or the experiences that shape the structure of the brain and fine-tune the brain connection in the baby’s brain. It is clear now that a complicated mix of nature (gene) and nurture (experience, mental stimulation) that shapes brain development.

How the external environment affects the brain development?

Parents who instinctively do such things as singing and talking to their children from birth, holding their fingers and read to them may be fun, however, it is much more than just simple loving encounters or everyday moments. Scientific findings show that what they are doing effectively raise the IQs of their children by providing essential nourishment. Every time an infant is held, read to, or plays with a toy, the nerves make a connection and this help to make the children smarter.

The provocative discovery from the world's neuroscience laboratories - an infant's brain thrives on feedback from its environment. In other words, the outside world shapes the brain's wiring. It wires itself into a thinking organ from the things it experience from the external environment through senses such as seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. These nerves connections eagerly await new experiences that will mold them into the neural networks for language, reasoning, problem solving, imagination, creativity and future intelligence. These critical networks are already being formed by age one.

During the early years of life, these wires are connecting at an amazing pace, and once-in-a-lifetime windows of opportunity are opening to learn certain tasks. These connections, or synapses, grow stronger with learning and they can fade and disappear if they are not strengthened by mental stimulation from the environment. That led us to other important principles of brain development: the brain operates on a 'use it or lose it' principle.

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'Use it or lose it' principle

At the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, William T.Greenough, a psychologist and cell biologist found that rats grown in enriched environments with toys and other animals to play with, had measurably more connections between brain cells, and were far better learners than those raised in less stimulating surroundings. He also found that he could quickly increase the number of brain connections in animal brains by 25% simply by exposing the animals to an enriched environment. "What we know from animals suggests that the harder you use your brain, whether it's thinking or exercising, the more in shape it's going to be" Greenough said.

In addition, that is exactly what seems to be happening in the human brain. "This is the human equivalent of the animals exposed to enriched environments having smarter brains,” said UCLA neuroscientist Bob Jacobs. Education alone is no guarantee of a better brain. Unless the brain is continuously challenged, it loses some of the connections. The brains of university graduates who led mentally inactive lives had fewer connections than those of graduates who never stopped letting the light in. "The bottom line is that you have to use it or you lose it" Jacobs said.

The power of experience to shape the brain was made to believe by a series of experiments at Harvard Medical School in which Torsten Wiesel and David Hubel shut one eye of newborn kittens to test the effects of sensory deprivation. When the eye that had been closed was opened a few weeks later, the eye was not able to see. However, surprisingly, the eye that had remained open could actually see better than normal eyes. Wiesel and Hubel won the Nobel Prize for making two important discoveries: they showed that sensory experience is essential for teaching brain cells their jobs, and after a certain critical period, brain cells lose the opportunity to learn those jobs.

"These are very important insights" said Wiesel "There is a very important time in a child's life, beginning at birth, when he should be living in an enriched environment - visual, auditory, language and so on - because that lays the foundation for development later in life. The brain learns and remembers throughout life by constantly changing its network of trillions of connections between cells because of stimuli from its environment.

When is the crucial period of brain development?

We are aware of the importance of early childhood development. Nothing will ever again match this most exuberant time of learning. From birth to about the age of twelve, especially during the first three years of life, the brain is a super-sponge. This is the brain's most absorbent stage, where it actively learns from its environment. Information flows easily into the brain through 'windows' that are open for only a short duration. It is during this period, the strong foundations for thinking, imagining, learning, language, vision, social skills, cognition and other characteristics are designed and created. Then the 'windows' close, and much of the fundamental architecture of the brain is completed and probably not going to change very much more.

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The brain never stops learning after the end of this period, but instead of being easy, learning becomes harder, more costly and time consuming. For example, for the first twelve years of life, children can learn languages very easily, as opposed to later in life. Any adult trying to learn a foreign language knows this very well.

Brain development is a non-stop process. If your children have not been optimized to learn in the early learning period of their first three years, the brain still gives its owner a big second chance that runs to about age twelve. Whenever these prime times are discussed, it is essential to keep in mind that it is never too late to help a child learn and develop. Parents still have many opportunities every day to give their children all the necessary tools and efforts to stimulate and shape the brain cells and their connections.

What can parents do in these critical periods of early development?

Parents can do a lot to help their children develop their brain to the maximum possible development. Parents must understand the role they play, in enhancing their children's brain development in the crucial early years. “If you want to significantly influence a child’s ability to think and to acquire knowledge, the early childhood years are very critical”, said neurobiologist Peter Huttenlocher. We are not suggesting a program to develop genius; rather, we advocate activities you can initiate to help your child be ready for school and get an early head start. Here are few guidelines that you can start in helping young brains achieve their greatest potential.

1) Talk, read and sing to your child

Parents may think their very young children do not understand what they are trying to say when they talk to them properly. Consequently, parents tend to use to a lot of ‘baby talk’. They did not realize the importance of proper early ‘conversation’ with their baby. Even though the infants do not understand meanings of those words, their brains have already wired sufficiently from listening to speech to acquire its native language. When babies hear the said words repeatedly, a part of the brain that handles speech and language is actually developing.

The more words they hear in these conversations, the more those parts of the brain will grow and develop. Studies show that there is a correlation between exposure to language and IQ achievement. The highest IQ of children who were talked to the most during the first years of life reached 150, while the lowest IQ of children of non-talkative parents fell to 75.

Make sure that you talk to your baby now and then with a low toned, yet firm voice by using a number of different words. Use facial expression while talking. Your voice will become a channel for the baby to express feelings. Stimulating your baby’s vision can provide many health benefits. One of the most significant of them is the enhancement of comprehension and visual learning. Making eye contact with your baby is perhaps the best thing you can do to enhance her brainpower.

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Look right into your baby’s tender eyes. Infants can recognize their mothers’ face very easily. Each time when your baby stares at your face, it is trying to build and enhance memory power. When you make different facial expressions like sticking out tongue or smiling, your baby will try to imitate them and later learn different problem solving techniques. You may need to allow your baby to reflect what he or she sees; Make sure that you allow some time for your baby to reflect what she has just learnt. Keep talking to your baby so that he or she will try to recognize some simple words. You must allow your baby to follow the rhythm of conversations. Leave short pauses to make this possible.

Children, whose mothers talk to them frequently have better language skills than those whose mothers seldom talk to them. After about age twelve the ability to learn new languages start to decline gradually. We must emphasize that while grammar and vocabulary learning has no ‘critical period’ limitation, phonological acquisition is age-sensitive and it is best acquired during the early childhood ‘window’ opportunity. In the nutshell, the earlier a child starts the better in the end. Furthermore, language is the most important cognitive skill because it is a child’s first symbol system, which is then used to learn other symbol systems such as math.

Reading to a child during first three years hastens reading and language development and is likely to boost IQ. Listening to music and singing to your child may make learning easier and more effective since music exercises some of the same brain circuits involved in learning math, language, and other skills.

2) Be warm, loving and responsive

There are many things that you can do to stimulate your baby. First, showing love is the most beautiful thing that a parent can do to enhance brain development. Love and affection are the two emotional needs for a baby. Unconditional love will create a very strong self-esteem and better brain nerve circuitry. When children receive warm, responsive care, they are more likely to feel safe and secure with the adults who take care of them. When your baby cries, respond to that call immediately. This simple gesture will give your baby a sense of security, as well as emotional stability.

Studies show that newborns that are responded quickly and warmly to when crying typically cry much less and sleep more at night. They develop assurances and their needs and desires matter and they can trust their caregivers. Researchers call these strong relationships "secure attachments," and they are the basis of all the child's future relationships. We have always known that children thrive when they feel secure; now we know that children's early attachments actually affect the way their brains work and grow.

Early development of humor is known to provide a number of benefits. Make your baby laugh, while you are playing. Tickle the toes to make your baby smile. Tickling can teach your baby how to anticipate and react to events. This will help your baby develop skills like imagination, thinking and comprehension. Emotional bonds tend to increase, when mother breast-feed their babies. Children who are breast-fed tend to display better IQs and intelligence than those who are not. Breast-feeding is a great tool to establish a deep emotional attachment among mothers and children. Singing,

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talking and gentle stroking on baby’s head also act as great tools to enhance brainpower.

The expressions of your love - touching, cuddling, holding, patting, kissing, uttering, rocking, talking, smiling, and singing – will affect how your young child's brain is "wired" and helps to shape later learning and behavior. Touch is especially important: holding and stroking stimulates the brain to release important hormones necessary for growth. Premature babies, whose sensory systems are activated when parents hold and cuddle, are more mentally, conscious, alert and physically stronger than those who are routinely isolated in inhospitable incubators.

All of us imitate and mimic others and small children are no different. Young toddlers and babies are known to observe their parents keenly to analyze and figure out ways to mimic voice and facial expressions. Encourage this positive attitude to help your baby develop cognitive and thinking skills. Babies that learn to explore different textures and patterns are known to develop very strong motor skills. Make sure that you provide a safe environment for your baby to explore safe things and objects

3) Education

The best time to learn music, foreign languages, math and other skills is between one to twelve years of age. Unfortunately, these years are usually put on hold by the parents for the youngsters to ‘enjoy their childhood’. Although we do not encourage parents to overload their children, but the brain development in the early childhood years are very critical hence requires constant stimulation. Of late, academicians and childcare experts are advocating the “Mozart Effect” to encourage child brain development. Play soothing music for your baby and make sure that you use different sounds like sounds of nature. This will help your baby develop better brain circuitry.

What type of education suits your children? It depends on your children’s ability and inquisitiveness to learn new things. Attuning your child towards learning new things will start right through the infancy, when the child is below the age of three years. Brain based education provides an opportunity to learn concepts and processes related to effective learning.

In view of this, choosing a quality child-care provider is one of the most important decisions parents make. Research shows that high quality child-care and early education can boost children's learning and social skills when they enter school. Look for a child-care provider who responds warmly and responsively to the baby’s needs, cares about children and eager to learn about their development and engage them in creative play. 4) Nutrition

Parents know very well that nutrition is very critical to the overall development in children either physically or mentally. Children who are malnourished (due to poverty or fussy eater) have been found to suffer lasting behavioral and cognitive deficiency.

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Especially, fetuses and infant that do not have enough nutrition during this critical period often show signs of inadequate brain growth. As a result, they exhibit lower I, slower language and fine motor development as well as poor intellectual development.

In respect of this, pregnant woman has to maintain a nutritious diet as advised by the doctor to ensure adequate fetal growth. After birth, breast milk offers the best mix of nutrients for promoting brain growth. Beginning around six months, babies require some form of iron supplementation (in solid food or formula) that is necessary to fuel brain growth. Cognitive deficits have been found to link to iron deficiency. In addition, children also need a high level of fat in their diets until about two years of age. Available research indicates that children should have their breakfast without fail. Breakfast is the most important meal for the day, while its nourishing properties will keep your children healthy throughout the year. Energy realized from breakfast will keep the metabolism in perfect conditions apart from enhancing complex cognitive functions in a significant manner. Choline, brain-boosting antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C & vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, Iron and Calcium will enhance memory, develop cognitive skills, strengthen bone system, improve metabolism and keep the mental status alert throughout the day. Good food can enhance attention span, rev up memory power and provide an optimal nutritional level that will eventually build better body composition.

5) Make TV watching selective

Television by itself cannot teach an infant language, and it cannot teach him how to communicate either. Studies show that children who learn best in school have families who limit the amount of time they spend in front of the TV and are selective as to the kinds of shows they watch. Very young children are still learning about the difference between what is real and what is pretentious. Some TV images strike them as delightful, but many other images can be confusing or even frightening. Be selective and involved in your children's TV habits. Do not use TV as a baby-sitter. Whenever possible, sit and watch programs together with your child, and talk about what you are viewing. Excessive TV watching can lead to loss in attention spans, decreased concentration and a drop in academic achievements. TV could be a good medium for learning communication skills and language, only when parents limit what their children get to see and watch. Scientific research indicates that the fast moving picture frames are too much for a young brain and it can severely affect the way in which a child thinks and acts. 6) Brain building exercises

Young children, toddlers and older babies need very simple and practical exercises that are hands-on and easy. Some of these simple exercises are rolling the ball on

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the floor, holding on to a toy, holding a book or even spoon. These simple exercises involve developing a range of skills and tasks like touching, talking, listening, smelling, playing, grasping, looking, crawling and tasting. These varied activities will help your children develop cognition, motor, auditory, visual, mind, thinking and other related skills.

Mind you, young children are born to learn from their birth. The most important key is to provide them a number of useful experiences from time to time, when they are growing, especially the first three years. All these simple exercises will replace the old brain connections with the new ones. You can even think of new activities or experiences that enhance brainpower. Give your baby something new, when they are awake or alert. Noisy toys, rolling balls, colorful and biologically safe blocks and patterns are useful to provide new experiences to your baby.

Brain based learning is essential for children, who fall in the age bracket of one and four years. It means that you will be helping your baby to enhance his or her brain and its basic functions. Brain based learning will keep your baby brain health and fit throughout the life.

7) Repetition is the key to a master brain

Scientific research suggests that new brain connections are made possible, when children repeat what they learn and understand. Make sure to provide plenty of time for repetition. Consistent repetition can help your children build more numbers of efficient brain connections to replace the old ones. Same stories and songs repeated many times can assist babies to enhance memory power and thinking. Children always learn through repetition. For example, chemical and neural pathways within the brain cells can strengthen themselves, when parents respond repeatedly throughout the day to a baby’s smiles by smiling back. Similarly, repeated stories can enhance imagination, thinking and visual skills.

Did you ever see that children, especially the younger ones, love to repeat the same routine over again? Just watch your child scribbling some pictures with a color pen repeatedly many times in a single day. This is because young children’s naturally wired brain encourages repetition of certain experiences, which provide them a sense of security and safety. This will eventually help them in establishing strong neural pathways that enhance learning abilities. 8) Physical fitness as a tool to enhance brain development

Brain development in children will happen, when parents give their children enough time for physical exercises. When growing children exercise, their body will demand more food and nutrition, which in turn provide enough nutrition for optimal brain development. Physical activities can stimulate brain development in the same way as it develops the muscular system. Physical exercises can activate and urge the nerve cells within the brain to create robust neurological pathways. The brain always

grows by use and practice, as these pathways are diversified and expanded. Mental achievement is possible with an optimal physical development.

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Parents should help their children become mobile. Creeping and crawling are the god-given gifts that help their brain develop. Never ever, force your young baby walk before it learns to do so. The extent of crawling and creeping will have an effect on how well your child can see, hear, speak and read. Physical exercises have a supplemental effect on brain development as well. Enhanced metabolism levels have the ability to replace old and decaying nerve cells with new ones that are efficient and surcharged. With exercises, body’s demand for oxygen will be more and this additional infusion of oxygen can help brain cells develop in an optimal way. 9) Different types of brain development in children Daily interactions, nutrition, exercises, nourishment and physical activities will play an important role in child brain development. The five basic senses of brain development vision, hearing, smell taste and touch will assist in developing an unconnected brain with newer pathways and connections. The different types of brain development are: Development of vision and hearing senses – These are the first senses that develop in babies. Expose your baby to different colors, patterns, shapes and objects to improve vision. To enhance audition, you can play soothing music and lullabies or even audio stories. Nothing can beat mothers’ voice, uttered gently near the face of their babies. Place vividly colored and shaped chimes over the child's cradle to help babies develop these two senses. Development of linguistic skills – Earliest words and syllables that your baby can learn are ma, pa, oohh, da etc. When parents talk to their babies, they can help them develop early language skills and speech. Reading stories, poems and singing will also help in the process. Babies are known to grasp the sounds and intonations of the words spoken by parents. Development of motor skills – Muscular control in the body can develop only with the development of brain. Early body movements may include waving of hands and arms, twitching of fingers and slight movements of legs. Physical exercise in the form of crawling and walking will help baby develop motor skills. When babies learn how to hold and grasp objects, they will be helping themselves in enhancing muscle development as well as control. Development of emotional skills – When parents give proper love, care and affection, they will play an important role in the development of emotional and social skills. Healthy and encouraging ambience within the house will also catalyze launching of better social and emotional skills. Children learn from their surroundings and from their parents and caregivers. Positive emotions and social skills will result in raising a pleasing and affable child. Brain is the command center of our body. An efficient command center could help children lead a life full of satisfaction and contentment. Parents, who use proven brain building techniques, will raise children who are smart, intelligent and efficient.

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