A few months ago we published an entry in which we explained what is the best way to help the brain development of babies, taking into account that they are born with a tremendously immature brain, both, and that they reach the world with only 25% of the brain developed.
This means that the remaining 75% is formed once the baby is already born, so that our work in the first months and years is important. In that post we gave you some general indications, so today we are going to enter with some more specific recommendations for the earliest age: how to help baby's brain development in the first trimester of life.
1. Healthy eating
We are what we eat, so feeding is important for proper development and therefore it is advised that babies receive a healthy nutrition. In the first trimester of life the only thing they can eat is milk, so you have to avoid giving anything other than breastmilk or, failing that, infant formula or artificial milk (do not add cereals or make inventions in this regard, as they can be dangerous).
In addition, in case of giving artificial milk, we must be careful with the preparation both at the level of water temperature and for the mixture to be correct (exact amount of powder for an exact amount of water), since an "eye" preparation It can cause dehydration and other health problems.
In Babies and more Dialogue with your child: a study shows that early two-way conversations improve your verbal development2. Be affectionate
It seems unbelievable that this advice should be given, but after many decades convinced that the best thing for babies was not to take them in their arms and let them cry "to become independent", there are still those who think that this is still the best. As a consequence, we must continue explaining how important it is to unleash emotion, love and love for our baby.
Holding him in his arms, kissing, cuddling, talking, singing, treating him with sweetness and affection are acts that will help us have a good relationship with the baby. In addition, smiling when he smiles at us, responding to his faces and gestures and calling him by his name, are the beginning of a communicative and trustworthy relationship that should last a lifetime.
3. Try to decipher your needs
Babies have their own rhythms, which do not always coincide with ours (in fact, they almost never do). It is worth knowing that it is easier for us to adapt to their rhythms than to try to adapt them to ours, basically because doing so is easier for them to go wrong.
As parents we have to learn to listen to their needs and know if they want more spree at that moment, or if they need a little peace of mind; if you prefer to stay at home or it might be good to go out for a while; if you feel like sleeping, hungry or looking for arms. It’s very good to be clear that babies can't spoil.
4. Mom and dad's face are perfect stimuli
And not only perfect, they are the most interesting. First because they are mom and dad, second because they have the ability to be mobile stimuli ... just when you have already controlled your face, change with more open eyes, open mouth and very high eyebrows, or suddenly your mouth opens towards sides in a big smile that let you see a lot of bright white pearls called teeth, between lips that also move to make sounds.
It can be interesting for the baby to start playing "hide and seek," putting our hands between his face and ours and then pulling them away and giving him great joy.
Further, his own face It can also be an interesting stimulus. It will be months until he is able to know that this little face in the mirror is himself, but they usually like the faces of babies, probably because when they are babies they see very few (most of those who approach are adults). To do this, we can play with an unbreakable mirror to put it in front or even put it in the crib, stroller or hammock (if they are one of those who can be in them for a while, many cry and do not admit a moment away from the arms of mom and dad).
5. Talk and talk
As we have already mentioned, talking with them is a great way to start a communicative relationship. Even if you do not understand us, we must talk to you and explain at all times what will happen, what we are going to do, what we are going to do together. This way we will begin to understand before, and thus we will begin to communicate also before, because The more a baby is talked to, the more likely it is to start talking earlier.
If one of the parents has a different mother tongue from where they reside, it may be a good idea to use it. For the father or mother it will be more comfortable, because it is their natural language, and for the baby it can be beneficial, since it has been seen that bilingual babies have later more facility to learn other things.
In Babies and more Emotional education in the first months of life: how to stimulate your baby6. Avoid traumatic situations
The baby's brain is so immature that it is unable to interpret the threatening signals to overcome them. We have developed the rational part of our brain, so that when we hear a certain noise we are able to find out what the source and the threat are. Even when we suffer, we have tools to try to overcome that suffering and move on: seek help, explain problems to someone to let off steam, be aware that we will be better with time, etc.
But a baby does not have this ability to reason and is unable to regain calm when he feels threatened. Therefore, if he thinks something is wrong, or is in danger, he cries. That is his only strategy to try to be well again: cry to get an answer of his mother or father in the form of arms, affection, containment, etc.
A baby will cry at many times because it is his only way of communicating, and it is normal. Our function is to reassure you in those moments. But it is not the only one, because we can also prevent them from crying even more. To do this, we have to avoid unnecessary traumatic situations, such as loud noises, let them cry alone, etc.
7. Make sure everyone is clear that the baby needs love
It is important that we be clear, as parents, that the baby needs our affection and affection, but it is also important for the development of the baby that, in case someone is going to take care of it, be clear about how important it is to ensure their safety and health (wash their hands before taking it, refuse to see the baby if you are sick, etc.), as well as for your need to receive affection, affection and comfort.
For this, it can be very useful to explain that babies do not know anything about the world, they have many fears, everything seems new and threatening, and that we are the elders who have to teach them that they are safe and that they can relax with us feeling that way sure.
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | The baby's brain grows faster in the hours and days after delivery, The baby's brain: how to help its correct development (I) and (II), Premature birth alters the baby's brain connections
