The optimal golden time for human brain development is very short, mother, don’t miss your baby

Every time you look at the baby, you will think he is very cute. This cuteness is mainly because he has a big head and a small body. This Q-version \”shape\” makes you feel extremely cute. However, the characteristics of a baby with a big head show that in the first few years of his life, the fastest growing part is his head. Although eating and sleeping have almost become the baby\’s main activities during infancy, behind his peaceful sleeping appearance is actually the rapid growth of brain nerve cells. Suddenly one day you may be surprised to find that your baby can imitate you to stick out your tongue or raise your eyebrows. Soon he will be able to recognize all kinds of human faces and learn ever-changing languages, some of which you have never taught him at all, and you don’t even know how to teach him. Know where he learned it from. All these milestone performances stem from the changes that have taken place in his cute head. Accelerated period of brain development The last three months of pregnancy and the first two years of the baby\’s life are called the accelerated period of brain development. When a baby is born, the brain weighs 350 to 400 grams, which is about 25% of the weight of the human brain. By 6 months of age, the baby\’s brain weighs 700 to 800 grams, accounting for 50% of the adult brain weight. By the age of 2, it is close to 75% of that of adults. As the brain weight increases, the size of the brain also increases, so the head circumference also increases. When the baby is 3 or 4 years old, the size of the brain is very close to that of an adult. The increase in head circumference can be felt externally, but what kind of changes have occurred internally in the brain? There are two main reasons: one is the increase in connections between nerve cells (also called neurons), and the other is the growth of glial cells that provide nutrients for neurons. Here we focus on the first change. There are intricate connections between neurons. To realize these connections, we need some \”liaisons\”. The liaisons transmit information from one neuron to other neurons, forming the basis of our various psychological and behavioral activities. These liaisons are called \”synapses.\” During the accelerated period of brain development, synapses grow explosively, which leads to an interesting phenomenon. The number of synapses in a baby\’s brain even exceeds that of an adult at the age of 2 years old! Brain plasticity Why do adults have fewer synapses in their brains? This is because the brain \”prunes\” certain connections between neurons that are less necessary and used less frequently. Not only that, but those important, frequently used connections will be strengthened with experience. However, the pruning of synapses by the brain is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it is very important. This can make the brain work more efficiently and avoid unnecessary waste of resources. After all, we live in human society, and most people only need to identify people. There are subtle differences between faces, but there is no need to know the differences between the faces of different monkeys. The development of the brain does not just follow established biological procedures, but is shaped by the environment and experience, following the principle of \”use it or lose it\”. Just like a highly sophisticated machine, it has functions that can meet all needs when it leaves the factory. With continuous use, some functions are deleted, some functions are retained, and it gradually becomes a personalized mode. In early life, if individuals do not receive necessary and rich environmental stimulation, they willCan affect the development of brain function. Scientists\’ research on animals has confirmed this: If a chimpanzee grows up in a dark environment, its retina and the nerve cells responsible for processing vision will shrink. Another study on infant rats also found that the thickness and weight of the cerebral cortex of infant rats that grew up in a rich environment (well-lit, large and spacious, with various \”small toys\”) were better than those in a barren environment. Baby rats growing up in low light conditions (dim light, isolation, and little stimulation). How to make your baby\’s brain develop better? 1. Create necessary and rich environmental stimulation. In infancy and early childhood, the baby’s most important learning material is various sensory stimulations. He understands the world through feelings and movements. Parents should fully mobilize the baby’s various senses: show the baby colorful objects to increase the visual experience; give the baby different smells and tastes to stimulate the olfactory and taste experience; talk to the baby more and listen to music for him to increase the auditory experience; touch the baby more and let the baby Touch objects of different shapes and textures for a rich tactile experience. 2. Guide children to use their brains more. As mentioned before, the brain follows the principle of \”use it or lose it\”, which means that only by thinking more and using the brain more can the connections between neurons be stronger and the brain run faster. You can buy more toys for your baby. Pay attention to that the types of toys should be rich and suitable for the baby\’s current development stage. They should mainly stimulate the baby\’s interest and do not encourage them. You should also play more with your baby. During the parent-child interaction, use specific and vivid toys, games, picture books, etc. to inspire him to think and exercise his thinking. But everything should be done in a relaxed environment and a pleasant atmosphere. Don\’t force your baby to do things he doesn\’t like or don\’t want to do. If the baby is in a negative environment for a long time and often faces acute or chronic stress, such as showing fear, fright, nervousness and other emotions when receiving excessive criticism or corporal punishment, it will have a negative impact on his brain development. Because when faced with stress, the brain needs to consume a large amount of glucose to cope with it, which will occupy the glucose that should be used to develop cognitive abilities. 3. Ensure adequate nutrition, sleep and exercise. Although the brain only accounts for 2% of the body weight, it consumes 20% of the body\’s energy, and the proportion is greater in infants and young children. Therefore, adequate nutrition is necessary for the brain to operate efficiently. premise. The brain needs a variety of nutrients, including protein, lecithin, minerals, vitamins, etc. These nutrients can be obtained from fruits, vegetables, meat and other foods. If you want to make your brain work more efficiently, you must not be picky about your diet. When the baby sleeps, the brain is not in a dormant state. On the contrary, the nerve cells of the brain show strong rhythmic activity and are developing quietly. As your baby grows older, you must consciously cultivate good sleeping habits and a regular schedule for your baby, and be careful not to disturb your sleeping baby at will. Exercise can cause more blood to flow to the brain, bringing abundant glucose as energy to the brain. It can also stimulate protein production and promote the connection between nerve cells in the brain. Therefore, ensure that the baby gets appropriate exercise so that he canFree play in a safe environment not only promotes the development of your baby\’s motor abilities, but also promotes the development of his brain. All in all, we must firmly grasp the accelerated period of the baby\’s brain development, provide him with rich environmental stimulation, and guide him to explore and think more, so that the comprehensive ability of the baby\’s brain can be developed to the greatest extent.