Brain development during the prenatal period
what do we know about your baby's brain while you were still pregnant?
We know that the brain begins to develop within a week from conception and that at birth the brain has produced around 100 billion neurons or brain cells. While the baby develop inside of you, the many neurons or brain cells travel to their destination and connected with one another. After they make the connections the begin to send and receive messages about things that are happening such as touch, hearing and movement. Also, the senses of taste and sensitivity to light begin to develop.
Most of the cells in the brain develop during the prenatal period, but it still not completely developed at birth.
After the baby is born, the neurons that began connecting while in the womb will begin to connect further and become stronger.
You might begin to ask yourself what do we have to do with it. The answer to this question is simple: we all influence and provide the environment in which those neurons develop. In a balance and positive environment, the development and connection of those neurons are healthy and many. On the other hand, in an environment of fear, violence and insecurity, those neurons connections are few and not very healthy.
What can you do?
You need to remember that brain development has already begun during your pregnancy. The newborn brain at this age is immature. The first few months, most behaviors are control by "lower"brain centers. This means that when the baby cries, spits up or soil a diaper is not doing it deliberately.
At this age, a newborn cannot respond to praise or punishment. Remember that you cannot spoil a baby. Instead, you can only offer love and comfort. You need to remember to enjoy those behavior that you see in the newborn on the first day of life, since they are a result of the development that occurred during the pregnancy.
