Building better brains

Mother’s groups can be wonderful, but they can also be anxiety producing if you start comparing. I see many concerned mums in my practice who come in asking questions like: why isn’t my baby laughing like other babies? Why isn’t he crawling when another boy is nearly walking?

This produces a lot of anxiety and thankfully it’s mostly unfounded. Although it is essential to explore these concerns with a thorough assessment, the majority of children develop at their own pace within a range of what is normal.  Remembering of course that the end point of his or her development is also variable- we’re not all Usain Bolt or Michelangelo.

SKILL	AVERAGE AGE
smiles	6 weeks
sits (unsupported)	5-8 months
crawls	6-9 months
walks (holding on)	7-13 months
talks (>6 words)	12-20 months
talks (2 words together)	12-20 months

Is it nature or nurture?

Why is there this variation in development? Is it our baby’s genes (nature) that they’ve inherited from us or is it their environment (nurture)? Multiple studies have concluded that it’s actually a mix of both. A baby is born with a certain genetic blueprint but then needs the right experiences and environment to optimally develop.

But before you start stressing, I do NOT want to cause any mama guilt! By loving your baby enough to be reading this I can assure you that you’re doing great. You’ve got this!

So back to the science of it. If you look at how a brain develops it’s really fascinating. A baby is born with a brain around ¼ size of an adult (thankfully no bigger if you’ve given birth naturally!) and it has around 250 billion brain cells. It then goes through a period of massive growth when these cells start to form connections to communicate with each other. These connections (synapses) are the foundation of brain development.

During childhood trillions of these connections form and the brain grows. It doubles in size within the first months of life and reaches around 80% of adult size by 3 years of age. But growing and forming these connections is only a part of it. The other part is shaping the brain almost like pruning a tree. Parts of the brain that are used a lot strengthen whilst those that aren’t fade away. This pruning is known as neuroplasticity and it’s highly influenced by our children’s environment and their experiences.

What does science say about the best environment and experiences?

After reviewing current literature on development, I’ve broken it down into an easy formula within my 5 to Thrive program. I won’t go into all the details now, as there really is a lot of information, but here are a few examples of how to help your child’s development.

1. PLATE: Good nutrition is vital for growing brains. Specific nutrients such as healthy fats, iron and iodine are just some that are needed. This is important even before baby is born and is a reason why prenatal vitamins are recommended. It’s also why traditional cultures have specific foods that pregnant mums eat. Besides breastfeeding for those who can, starting solids is another opportunity to feed your baby foods that will support their development. And in case you’re wondering, I don’t recommend rice cereal as a first food.

2. PLAY: Children need to be able to explore their environment in order to optimally develop. They learn from observation and hands on experience. You can encourage your child by engaging with them and providing age appropriate challenges and games. For example by putting toys just out of their reach during tummy time to motivate them to try crawl, or even creating a pillow obstacle course for when they are crawling. The more fun the better!

3. PAUSE: Sleep is a very important component of helping a brain develop. Science shows us that sleep is a time when memories and skills are almost cemented into the brain. This is likely a reason why babies sleep so much (even if it’s fragmented!).

4. PEOPLE: This is possibly the most important predictor of brain development. A loving and nurturing relationship with a primary caregiver (usually you, mom!) is known to promote learning and even IQ. By loving our children and being attentive we engage in back and forth interactions with them. This communication is also known as ‘serve and return’ and builds a strong foundation for future learning.

5. PROTECT: For brain development this is a combination of limiting the nasties and maximising what helps. For example taking steps to cut down on exposure to industrial chemicals and increasing time outdoors in green space. Our gut microbiome also plays an important role in brain health although it’s specific role in development and growth is unclear.

Take home message:

All evidence supports the theory that development is a dynamic process that isn’t just inherited and set in stone from birth. It is instead a complex interplay between genetics, nutrition, relationships and the environment.

We can absolutely build better brains and it can be as easy as giving hugs and healthy food. By considering the 5 elements above you can feel confident that you are helping your child as best you can!

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