Early Connections Are Key for Infants to Thrive
Imagine this: 700 connections made per second! No, I’m not speaking of some sort of multi-gig, trillion-teraflop supercomputer. It’s an infant’s brain, whizzing away at breakneck speed, connecting millions of brain cells in the first years of life.
This circuit development of the brain — though invisible to any parent’s eye — is fundamental to understand how babies learn and grow. At a recent symposium held at Harvard that I attended, along with other business and government leaders from our state, we learned from the neuroscientists, research pediatricians and policy makers how brains are built over time — from prenatal through adulthood. The largest part of brain architecture happens during the early childhood years.
Yet, how many of us really give thought to what’s going on inside a baby’s head? After all, babies are cute — and sweet — and cuddly — and (hopefully) good-natured and not too colicky. Isn’t that all we need to understand about these precious little bundles of joy?
Well, the new science of brain development is forging a path that is both illuminating and frightening. It’s pushing the frontiers of early childhood practice (that’s where parents and child care providers come in) and policy (that’s where legislators and business leaders come in). In ways never before understood, we now know that an infant’s early circuits of the brain cannot be rewired later in life; optimal flexibility and plasticity of the brain occurs very early, during the first three years of life.
The brain’s development sequence is always building on top of what’s been built before and the capacity for change decreases as the brain loses some of its flexibility. Furthermore, vast regions of the brain have vast synapses (these are the connections that link cells in the brain) that are unconnected and uncommitted and waiting to be “told what to do,” so to speak.
What an opportunity then for us to maximize optimal cognitive and emotional development in our children! As parents, we can seize this chance by becoming good students of this new science on the brain. For instance, a key component of an infant’s positive cognitive and emotional growth is underscored by the concept “Serve and Return.” What that means is that more synaptic connections are created by experiences where the infant interacts with a nurturing and responsive adult. The volley of expressions and reactions between the parent (or caregiver) and the child are absolutely vital to promoting brain growth. Hence, the volley begins when you smile at your infant, he then smiles back which causes you to coo or snuggle, which will, in turn, cause your baby to increase more brain cell connections (remember those 700 connections per second?). Sounds amazingly simple? Well, it is, in a very complex way. The basic biology of “Serve and Return” is literally shaping the circuit development in an infant’s young brain.
As effortless as this sounds, this precious interaction is essential because children develop in an environment where relationships are primary. While genetics play a large role, brain development is heavily influenced by the child’s environment and experiences during infancy and early childhood. According to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, this can “either weaken or strengthen the initial blueprint; … the circumstances in which {the brain is} built are every bit as important as the … framework handed down by genetics.”
So, one of the take-aways from the recent symposium is that creating the right conditions in early childhood has vast implications. Secure and nurturing relationships that offer responsive (Serve and Return) experiences optimize neural growth. (This is one of the primary reasons why “educational” television for young children is pointless; there is no “Return” or response to the child’s “Serve.”)
Simply stated, parents and caregivers who understand that strong, bonding, responsive relationships are the building blocks of the environment’s influence on an infant’s healthy human development can do much to promote the well-being — and competence — of young children.
At another level, legislators and policy makers in Michigan should heed this important “new science” and find the will and the resources to develop strong early childhood policies to ensure that every child in our state has the opportunity to enjoy positive early learning experiences. Early childhood is a smart investment that yields long-term gains. How? These earliest relationships and experiences shape the brain development of young children, which in turn affects their ability to succeed in school and later in life. Having a capable, well-adjusted and educated population is in Michigan’s best interest.
State policies can help infants and toddlers get the positive start they need by promoting early childcare and education and ensuring services and resources dedicated to young children.
I’m proud to live in Michigan. But, I’d be even prouder to know that our state is in the forefront of promoting national early childhood policy instead of lagging in the middle of the pack. Our children deserve no less. And, our future depends on it.
Source: DetNews.com, MI
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/OPINION03/807150398/1031
