Education Begins at Birth: Growing Baby's Brain

During the first year of Baby’s life, plenty of varied stimulation will foster brain growth. Infants’ brains are like sponges, and they will develop when parents show affection and demonstrate love through words and actions.

Learning begins as babies explore their immediate surroundings and their own bodies. From birth, you can create an environment of growth, often in ways you would naturally interact with your baby.

Simple Types of Stimulation for a Healthy Growth Environment

• Hold your baby, gently rock her, and walk around with her in your arms.
• Tickle her toes, touch her nose, gently wiggle her arms or rub her head, and softly blow on her tummy.
• Make lots of eye contact.
• Go for a short car ride, take a walk with her in a stroller, or swing her in a cradle.
• Make fun faces with her—smile, stick out your tongue, and wiggle your nose.
• Play music, sing songs, and make silly noises.
• Show pictures of your family and talk about what is seen in them. Hold the pictures about ten to twelve inches away from Baby’s face.
• Say your newborn’s name often.
• Schedule play dates with other parents and babies.
• Let them touch objects so they are able to explore size, texture, and weight.
• Regularly talk to your infant. Don’t underestimate the value of regular communication, especially in this electronic age. People who have studied device usage and caregiver relationships note how parents tend to be less responsive and have fewer conversations with their young children because of the tendency to get absorbed with a smart phone.

Be Aware of Inappropriate Stimulation

The key is to provide appropriate stimulation. For example, screen time can stunt development. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding screen media for children younger than 18 months (with the exception of video-chatting with family and friends).

It is also important to be careful not to over stimulate your baby, because too much stimuli can actually hinder growth.