Brain development’s impact in focus
It is indeed important to learn, understand and build a solid foundation with their children.
The first five years of a child’s brain development will determine how successful the child will be for the rest of his life, according to studies, as there is a phase called the “critical period” — where the brain cell connections are more flexible and receptive to the influence of life experiences.
Based on “Why Early Childhood Matters” published in First Things First, 90 percent of brain growth happens before kindergarten. Newborn babies have all of the brain cells they’ll have for the rest of their life, but the synapses, or connections, between these cells are what make the brain work.
These connections enable us to do just about everything — including moving, thinking, and communicating.
Research confirms that the first five years of life are considered to be a rapid and dynamic period for brain development. Most brain processes during that period will have an impact on the developing brain.
Much like electrical wires — or the fiber optics that connect us to the internet — billions of brain cells called neurons send electrical signals to communicate to each other. These connections form circuits and become the basic foundation of brain architecture.
Circuits and connections multiply at a really fast phase and are strengthened through repeated use. Experiences and environment dictate which circuits and connections get more used. A good example of this is, when a child is more exposed to different languages at an early age, he tends to become a good linguist when he matures.
This is because the circuit and connection on language was strengthened through repeated use so the child’s ability to learn a certain language becomes easier. Connections that are used more grow stronger and more permanent.
A child’s experiences shape the process that determines whether the child’s brain will provide a strong or weak foundation for all future learning behavior or health.
For a child to develop into a healthy, capable, and successful adult, brain development in the early years of childhood is crucial. According to the Center on the Developing Child of Harvard University, the early years provide the “building blocks” for successful “architecture of the brain,” and higher-level abilities that come later in life, such as problem-solving, emotional maturity, and communication, are developed and formed through brain connections made during the first five years.
Studies also show that in the first five years, nutrition plays a crucial role in brain development. Two experts — Sarah E. Cusick, Ph.D., and Michael K. Georgieff, MD published an article on PubMed Central, a biomedical and life sciences journal literature from the US National Library of Medicine entitled “The Role of Nutrition in Brain Development: The Golden Opportunity of the First 1,000 days.”
As parents, it is indeed important to learn, understand and build a solid foundation with their children while nourishing their growth with phospholipids to help them reach their maximum potential, especially in the first five formative years. Development and behavioral pediatricians recommend being proactive in finding the right information, tools, counseling, and planning; it’s important to take advantage of the window of opportunity to impact your child’s early life brain connections, which in turn, have a lasting effect on a child’s ability to learn and succeed.