What to do for Newborn Brain Development
During episode 70 of the Learning to Mom Podcast, I chatted with Heather Mrak, founder of Baby’s Best Brain. During our conversation, we covered what to do (and what not to do) to boost your baby’s neurodevelopment.
Want to hear more??
Don’t forget to tune into episode 70 of the Learning to Mom Podcast, “Essential Ways to Boost Your Baby’s Brain Development in the First Year with Heather Mrak from Baby's Best Brain | Ep. 70” for more details!
Now, let’s dive into some inside info!
Why is Baby’s Brain Development Important?
The first few years of your baby’s life are CRUCIAL for their brain development. This is a period of insane brain growth and plasticity.
What you do to support their growing brain NOW will shape their neural connections for the rest of their life.
Why are Primitive Reflexes Important?
The first movements a newborn baby does are called primitive reflexes.
These reflexes might involve a baby waving their arms & legs or reaching out to grab your finger.
Encouraging your baby to develop these primitive reflexes is crucial for their brain development!
If these reflexes are not used, that can lead to later problems, such as:
Weaker balance
Weaker vision
Decreased ability to focus
These reflexes can be developed through movement.
Newborn Brain Development Activities
One crucial element that triggers early brain development in babies is tummy-time.
When laying on their stomach, babies are required to use more neck muscles to keep their heads up. This movement triggers the brain and nervous system.
Movement is an extremely important part of newborn brain development.
How to Stimulate Newborn Brain Development
There are several do’s and don’ts when it comes to helping your baby’s brain development.
Do:
Encourage crawling (this grows connections in the brain)
Provide opportunities for tummy-time
One way you can encourage tummy-time in your baby is by laying down beside them on the floor.
Don’t:
Avoid methods that restrict your baby’s movements, like:
Using containers, like a swaddle or bouncy seat (restricts movement)
If you do need to use a container, make sure you are counteracting that by offering them lots of tummy and floor time.
Does Music Help Baby’s Brain Development?
Music can help with a baby’s sensory development, but movement is the primary activity to encourage brain development.
Talking to your baby will also help their hearing and communication skills (yes, even at this early age!)
Baby’s Brain Development Stages
Rolling & crawling are two key milestones to look for during your baby’s first year.
These movements should begin two to four months after birth.
If your baby doesn’t develop these movements after a long period of time, you’ll want to contact a pediatric physical therapist.
Why is Crawling Not a Milestone? (Does Skipping it Affect Development?)
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed crawling as a milestone in 2021, and MANY pediatric professionals and experts are outraged.
Although their reasoning is that there wasn’t conclusive data to suggest when baby’s SHOULD crawl by (the range is too large), taking it out has made parents believe that crawling is not important and can be skipped.
However, this is actually hurting babies as it’s hurting their brain development.
Skipping crawling does impact a baby’s development negatively because crawling forces both sides of your brain to communicate (left, right, left, right). It’s a lot of coordination!
Since movement helps build connections in the brain, it’s important for your baby to have that “floor time” to crawl.
How Much Movement Does a Baby Need to Help Brain Development?
Generally speaking, a baby should have small periods of tummy-time each day.
Starting off, your baby should lay on their tummy for short periods of time (about 20 seconds). This will help them strengthen their muscles & reflexes.
As your baby gets stronger, they will be able to lay on their tummy for longer periods of time.
Want to know more about baby’s brain development?
Check out episode 70 of the Learning to Mom Podcast, “Essential Ways to Boost Your Baby’s Brain Development in the First Year with Heather Mrak from Baby's Best Brain | Ep. 70” to learn more!
