6 Interesting Facts You Probably Never Knew About Your Baby’s Brain

Did you know a baby’s brain continues developing until around age 25? Majority of this brain development however takes place between 0 – 5 years. Check out 6 interesting facts about baby’s brain you probably never knew…

1. Baby is born with a brain about one-third the size of an adult’s at birth. Baby’s brain however doubles its volume in 90 days and grows to up to 55 percent of its final size. The cerebellum, a part of the brain involved in controlling movement located at the back of the brain records the fastest growth rate of all brain parts. It grows twice bigger than it was at birth or even more in just three months.

2. Babies have all the neurons they will ever have at birth. Typically, a healthy, well developed baby is born with 100 billion neurons – nearly twice the number an average adult has. These neurons are crucial to facilitate the several learning processes baby undergoes in the early stages of life, especially the first 3 years.

As baby ages, neural pruning, whereby baby’s brain gets rid of weaker synaptic connections and replaces them with stronger ones, takes place.

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3. Baby’s brain develops at the fastest rate between birth and age three. The brain grows faster than any other body part and records the fastest rate of development within the first three years of baby’s life. This is why experts advise exposing baby to a large variety of brain developing activities, including reading aloud to them, and foods from birth to 5 years. Doing this is very crucial to boosting their brain development and capacity.

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4. Physical touch strengthens baby’s brains. Studies also suggest babies who get lots of physical touch and affection often have stronger neuronal connections that boost cognitive function and overall wellbeing.

5. Baby’s fussiness when a parent leaves signals long-term memory development. A Harvard University professor of psychology, Jerome Kagan, submits that around 9 months, an infant’s unwillingness to leave their parent shows they now have a clear memory of regularly having them as a caregiver and the brain has formed an emotional association.

6. Baby’s brain consumes most of the energy its body releases. While an adult’s brain uses 25 percent of their body’s metabolic energy, 60 percent of baby’s metabolic energy is spent on brain development. A very wholesome diet is therefore essential to aid this ongoing rapid brain development.