The Development of a Child's Brain

I often look at newborns in amusement and wonder what were are thinking about. Never did I stop for a moment to think about the complex wiring of the brain. It is known that the complete development of the brain is necessary for the normal physical and mental processes of a person but I wrongly assumed that such development is completed before birth.

It is interesting to know that Dr. Harry Chugani, a pediatric neurobiologist at Wayne State University amazing has provided a glimpse inside an infant’s head. We are able to see activities such retinal neuron making connection to visual cortex and the release of neurotransmitter brain chemical as the neuron from the ear carry electrical sound and connect to another neuron in the baby’s auditory cortex. It is possible to see such chemical process of the brain by the use of PET (Position emission tomography). PET measures in detail the functioning of distinct area of the brain. Dr. Chugani is also able to show how a baby’s brain comes alive like the 4th of July. The sky is busy with fireworks and so is a baby’s brain with brain stems and sensory cortex activities. Sparkling is the visual cortex which happens within the 2nd and 3rd month and up to six to eight month the frontal cortex. These signs tell that a baby’s brain is still developing. We tend to believe that the only thing happening outside the womb it growth. With such intricate delicate activities going on within the skull, it is a good thing that we were taught to always protect a newborn’s head even if it was for the wrong reason.

The brain is widely studied and as early as fifteen years ago the study Rethinking the Brain made public by Families and Work institute, Neuro-Scientists thought that by birth the brain...

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...onsible for seeing, hearing, emotion, the function of the nervous system, memory, cognitive and language development possible. Parents too have special jobs. To start, it is important for mothers to take care of themselves during pregnancy and provide the necessary nutrients and refrain from bad substances. From the minute a child enters the world the learning process begins. They are constantly figuring out their surroundings and their experiences become important because these experiences will shape their personality later in life. Parents are not scientist but it is up to them to figure out how to use meaningful and positive experiences to mould their precious ones. Parents should keep in mind that nothing is pre-determined and to view a child as a canvas ready to be worked on. It is up to the artist, the parent to create a masterpiece.