Brain Development

Brain development begins at the very moment of conception. 

The DNA present at conception is the basis for brain development. 

The two-cell human with a complete set of DNA that receives good-to-excellent nutritive support in utero starts breathing life with great potential for being a successful adult human. 

Our American values lend to a definition of successful as independent or able to function (live and prosper) without overt assistance.  Parents learn about brain development to help their children toward successful adulthood. 

The brain is the quintessential contradiction.  The brain develops throughout life, but parts of the brain don’t change easily or are hard-wired. 

Despite hard-wiring other brain parts change in response to experience and physiology.  (Nature vs. Nurture.)  Some parts of the brain have to develop at a certain times or they will not develop near-normally.  Other parts of the brain will develop or respond to experience throughout the lifespan. 

The brain is the seat of both thought and emotion; the source of all behavior in each human.  Philosophers looking for the soul might search the gelatinous mass within the human skull. 

The human brain grows in intricate and beautifully microscopic ways.  The scientists among you might accuse me of oversimplifying the process of brain development.  This description of brain development is intended to offer a meaningful understanding to as broad an audience as possible. 

Babies and their brains can survive within a wide range of nurturing behaviors.  The premise for this essay is the kind of nurturing that is more than sufficient for survival.  The description of brain development given here is depicted in the context of optimum nurturing. The brain has a life sustaining part that will not be represented here.  As important as the life-sustaining part is, that’s not the part that researchers and reporters are talking about when they refer to brain development. 

The nurturing given to a newborn begins to shape the baby’s brain from the first moments after birth.  ‘Experts’ in child development like to talk about the part of brain that thinks and controls the voluntary movement - the cortex. They are referring to the brain part that will help the child learn to read and graduate from high school.  (On Intelligence.) 

The brain of a healthy newborn is primed to develop in a timeline that is common to most people.  Baby behaviors are well-chronicled for mothers and fathers to follow the development of their children.  Behaviors are the outward sign that the brain is developing along the common timeline (or not).

In the part of the brain that controls voluntary behavior and thinking, three processes are worth understanding.  The processes are called dendritic proliferation, myelinization and pruning. 

The newborn brain has more cells than needed and the cells are not well organized.  With experience or interacting with parents (nurturing) the cells that are ‘used’ begin to grow stronger and ‘organize’.  The brain cells ‘organize’ by connecting with each other in ways that helps the baby respond to their experience (nurturing).  For example, when the baby ‘experiences’ looking at high-contrast black-and-white patterns, brain cells involved with vision begin to connect with each other and with the baby’s eyes to control vision. 

The brain cells ‘organize’ and connect through dendritic proliferation and synaptic interface on other cells.  Literally one brain cell connects to another brain cell when a branch or dendrite grows from one cell to attach to another cell.  The more prolific the dendritic growth is, the stronger the brain cells are for a particular behavior.  The organic process of dendritic proliferation underscores the need and importance of repetition in learning.

Myelinization is the process where a coating grows along the branch-part of each brain cell.  The coating, called myelin, is critical for increasing the speed of activity (impulses) in the brain cell.  Brain cells ‘talk’ to each other or interact through chemical impulses sent to each other through the dendrites.  The faster these impulses travel, the faster the brain can function or respond to experience. 

Dendritic proliferation combined with myelinization create a strong and fast framework to do the work of the brain.  A lot of this physiology happens best (the natural timing) in infancy and early childhood – which is why parenting experts emphasize the nurturing behaviors of parents. 

Dendritic proliferation and myelinization contribute to the pruning process.  The first two processes identify the brain cells being used – leaving excess unused cells to die-away.  The pruning process is important so that the organization created through experience becomes efficient.  Excess cells can slow the impulses by sending them on longer routes through the brain.  Low organization and excess cells slow brain function.

The parental nurturing of an infant has long term consequences for how the child will perform in school and society. 

Brain development as a response to parenting is a frequent media topic.  The internet offers extensive resource information to learn parenting that will positively influence the brain development of your child. 

Precious Minds, New Connections is an example of a community initiative to influence parenting practices.  Use the PMNC program description to look for similar programs in your area. 

 

Comments

[Ashley]

I somewhat understand what you said about cognitive abilities being intertwined with mobility, but I have definitely seen many CP kids who have EITHER mobility and very little cognitive abilities or cognitive abilities (of which they found out years down the road with electronic devices) but not much mobility at all. So....not sure how that figures in.