Healthy Brain Development
Life,  Mental Health

What A Child Needs For Healthy Brain Development

As early as three weeks after conception, the fetus in the mother’s womb starts forming its brain. In addition, Neurons in the brain begin to form. 

Neurons And Neurotransmitters

Neurons are nerve cells that send messages all over the body to allow the body to do everything from breathing to digestion to walking, eating, and thinking. 

A baby has 100 billion neurons or brain cells and 2,500 synapse connections at birth. Immediately after birth, connections begin to form between the neurons at an incredible rate of over 1 million per second. These connections, called synapses are tiny gaps between the neurons that release chemicals called neurotransmittersthese connections are caused by external stimuli every time the baby feels a sensation, or you interact with your baby (such as a cuddle, hug, or kiss).

Neurotransmitters are endogenous and are produced inside the neuron itself. They are chemical messengers that carry messages from one neuron to the next neuron (stimulating it) via synapse connections.

Types Of Neurotransmitters

Some common neurotransmitters (chemicals) in the brain include serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin, glutamate, GABA, and adrenaline (short-term stress hormone) 

These neurotransmitters (chemicals) are stored in tiny compartments at the end of the neurons called synaptic vesicles. These neurotransmitters (chemicals) live here until your brain needs to send a message via external stimuli. 

Neurotransmitters (Chemicals) control your body from your heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing, sleeping, healing, aging, digestion, hormone regulation, thoughts, memory, feelings, learning, muscle movement, and senses. 

For example, eating your favorite food creates a surge of dopamine rush to the synapse between two neurons. Dopamine brings feelings of pleasure. 

Some Ways To Help Your Child Develop A Healthy Brain

Cuddle your child

Hug them

Be affectionate towards them

Read with them

Explore sensory activities with your child

Laugh with your child

Listen to them attentively when they talk to you (eye contact is vital)

Tell them, “I love you.”

Affirm them within boundaries 

Discipline when needed

Say kind words to them

Play outside

Engage in healthy dialogue 

Pray together

Read the Bible together 

Talk about God with them

Hike with them

Play in the rain

Enjoy the sun together

To help your child with healthy brain development, being aware of your interaction with your child is vital. Every external stimulus causes a chemical release to a specific part of the brain that aids in developing it – your child’s amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus needs to thrive. 

These parts of the brain will help your child live as a healthy adult later in life. 

The Functions Of The Different Parts Of The Brain

THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX 

The prefrontal cortex aids in intelligently regulating our thoughts, actions, and emotions. It helps us to reason, problem-solve, comprehend, gain self-control, be creative, and have endurance. 

However, the prefrontal cortex is also the brain region most sensitive to the detrimental effects of stress exposure. Even relatively mild acute uncontrollable stress can cause a rapid and dramatic loss of prefrontal cognitive abilities, and more prolonged stress exposure causes architectural changes in prefrontal dendrites.

BASAL GANGLIA

The basal ganglia help us to form habits and help us in our judgment, learning, emotions, and executive functions such as planning, self-control, time management, etc. The most notable role of the basal ganglia is it helps us in our voluntary movements. Consciousness 

THALAMUS

The thalamus helps in planning, cognitive control, motivation, working memory, and decision-making. It is interconnected with the prefrontal cortex.

Understanding that your love, care, affection, and nurturing will help your child’s brain thrive is essential. 

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