The human brain is incredibly complex. So, when babies are born, their brains are not fully developed. This isn’t unusual–even the healthiest babies have a significant amount of physical (and mental) development to do over the course of their lives. Infant brain development over the first year in particular, however, is quite rapid.
In fact, the full development of the brain continues well into what we typically consider to be adulthood. For most people, the process takes close to two full decades. That’s a long time! And, often, what occurs during these first formative months will form the foundation for your baby’s long-term cognitive development.
This doesn’t mean that anything is set in stone or that your baby’s first year of development creates your child’s destiny. But this foundation is important. So it’s understandable that many parents keep a watchful eye over infant brain development–and want to know how they can help. Here are some simple ways you can help with your baby’s cognitive growth.
What Your Infant Needs for Healthy Brain Development
Healthy brain development depends, in part, on a healthy environment. This process often begins in pregnancy (this is what many of those vitamins and minerals are for). Ensuring healthy nutrition while you are pregnant can help get your baby’s development off to a strong start.
Once your baby is born, their environment expands drastically. The good news is that there are still things that parents can do to provide a healthy environment for infant cognitive development.
In most cases, this will simply mean ensuring that certain baselines are covered. Many steps in the following list may include things you would do anyway! That’s because your infant’s overall good health is important for your baby’s brain development.
Here are some of the foundational requirements most babies have for healthy cognitive growth:
- Solid nutrition: The brain requires a disproportionate amount of energy to operate. It’s a resource hog! As a result, brain growth is very dependent upon nutrition. For infants, the healthiest food option is usually breast milk. When breast milk is not available, talk to your pediatrician about formula options. Later, as your baby starts experimenting with solid food, keep nutritious options on hand. When your baby’s brain has access to solid nutrition, the brain has a better opportunity to develop.
Playing with your infant: As any parent knows (and as new parents quickly find out), infants require a significant amount of attention and interaction. Paying attention to your child does more than keep them safe (although this is obviously very important). That’s because interaction is a critical learning tool for young children. For infants, interactivity and play help encourage cognitive development. Whether it’s a round of peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake, the goal is to interact with your baby. You’re helping to show them the world, and your baby’s brain is taking it all in! Making interactivity a daily and routine part of your relationship with your infant is critical for healthy cognitive development.
Avoiding stress: For any new parent, avoiding stress is going to be a challenge. After all, every day is kind of stressful (and you aren’t really getting enough sleep to properly cope). This type of stress can’t be avoided. But there are benefits to trying to avoid higher-than-normal levels of stress. That’s because your baby can sense stress. They can tell when things aren’t right. Significantly higher levels of negative stress can have a detrimental impact on cognitive development. Now, this doesn’t mean your house needs to essentially have a spa/resort atmosphere. And not all stressors can be avoided. But doing what you can to take care of yourself and relax can be good for you and your infant.
Talking and signing: One of the best and easiest ways to interact with your child is to spend time talking to them and singing for them. Of course, your infant is going to have absolutely no idea what you’re talking (or singing) about. That’s okay! The important part is that they hear your voice. The words and melodies provide stimulation for their growing brain. Making talking, singing, and interactivity part of your daily routine provides a rich environment for infant brain development.
Ensuring your infant has access to these baseline environmental requirements can help give them a solid foundation for their cognitive development. Still, these recommended baselines represent the minimum of what your developing baby needs. Some parents want to do more to encourage their baby’s cognitive development.
How to Support Infant Brain Development
For most parents, nurturing the development of your baby is priority number one. There are some ways that you can intentionally set out to support your baby’s cognitive growth and take a more active role in how your infant grows up.
It should be noted that this doesn’t necessarily speed or strengthen your baby’s brain development–instead, think of it as enriching your baby’s experience and providing the necessary support for your baby to develop at their own pace.
Some of the most common ways to support your infant’s brain development include the following:
Get yourself and your baby immunized: Illness and disease can take a significant toll on your baby’s development. And one of the best tools we have to fight disease is vaccines. Make sure you are following your own–and your baby’s–vaccine schedule!
Be a responsive parent: When most people think of baby communication, they probably think about crying. And it’s true–crying is one of the primary ways that infants can tell you what they need. But infants will also reach for parents in other ways, such as cooing, babbling, smiling, or making other sounds. When your baby cries, be there to provide comfort. And when your baby coos, make sure to respond verbally. By responding to these forms of communication, you can help your baby’s language, speech, and cognitive skills develop. (Think about it like this–you’re providing more inputs for your baby’s brain to analyze.)
Make sure your baby gets regular healthcare: Wellness checks and routine screenings are essential to maintaining your newborn’s health. These routine appointments can catch problems early and ensure your infant is meeting physical and cognitive benchmarks.
Take your baby with you on your daily routine: Infants benefit from a little exploration! When your baby accompanies you on your errands or just hangs out with you around the house, they’re exploring brand new areas. And that gives their brain much more stimulation. Whether you’re exploring your backyard or the local Target, this type of enrichment can help bolster cognitive development. So take your infant with you on a walk!
Read to your baby: Books have an ability to transport us to brand new worlds, introduce us to new ideas, and help us imagine new possibilities. That’s no different when you’re a baby! (Though you may have to change the way you read just a touch.) It’s true that your infant likely will not follow the plot or subtext of a bedtime story (they’re a bit too young for that still). They may not even understand exactly what’s happening in the pictures. But they will get some experience connecting words to images. And this is another chance for your baby to hear your voice!
Build bonds with your baby: It’s important for your baby’s cognitive development to have a person they can trust in their life! Building bonds with your baby–making sure your baby enjoys plenty of tummy time, for example–can reduce stress and give your baby the space they need to grow.
Every baby is different and unique, of course. If you have questions about how to better support your baby’s cognitive development, make sure to ask your pediatrician during your baby’s regular wellness exam.
What You Should Avoid
Of course, there are also some things that you may want to consider avoiding as you support your baby’s cognitive development. Some of those things are:
Screen time: There are plenty of smartphone apps designed specifically for infants and babies. And your baby might seem to love them. But it’s important to remember that enrichment from screens pales in comparison to enrichment from human-to-human interaction. Which means that you should strive to significantly limit your baby’s screen time. (This includes television.)
Investing in the most expensive toys: You can buy your infant the most expensive toys in the world if that’s your wish. But the expense of the toy does not necessarily equate to the quality of the cognitive support. In fact, many low cost toys (or, for example, simple blocks) can provide excellent support for brain development.
Doing it all alone: Many new parents must combat a sense that they have to do it all on their own–that asking for help is a sign of failure. But it’s important to point out that this isn’t necessarily true (or helpful) for most parents. Finding connections to your community and to support groups can be both critically important and incredibly helpful.
There’s no rule book for parenting, of course. And in some situations, you may not be able to avoid screen time or handling problems on your own. That’s okay! This list is just a set of suggestions–not a checklist for perfect infant cognitive development.
When You Should Talk to your Pediatrician
Most babies will reach a series of cognitive milestones throughout their first year of life (and beyond, of course). If you notice that your baby is not meeting these milestones or appears significantly late in doing so, you may want to consider contacting your pediatrician.
Babies will often develop at their own pace, so a missed milestone does not in itself indicate a significant problem. Your pediatrician will be able to tell you whether your baby is still developing or whether there’s a reason to develop a treatment plan.
If you have questions about your child’s development, contact Children’s Healthcare Associates today to make an appointment at our Chicago or Northbrook locations!