The brain grows steadily during pregnancy and is about a quarter developed at birth.
Amazing growth takes place in infancy – it takes just seven minutes for the synapses of each neuron to form. By three years of age there are trillions of connections – twice as many as an adult has. But only those that are used regularly will remain.
A young child’s emotional, social and intellectual development is very rapid. Experiences shape the brain’s architecture, as the underused neural pathways are pruned away.
The root of many adult conditions can be traced to early childhood experiences and affect the future programming of physiological functions.
The development of neural pathways is influenced by genes, blood supply, hormone levels, and the physical and socio-emotional environments.
Did you know
Babies are born with over 100 billion brain cells.
Early years are crucial; the brain is 25% developed at birth and 80% developed by age three.
Positive stimulation will build strong neural pathways.
Physical, emotional and social development are all important.
Simple things repeated help these pathways to strengthen.
Positive relationships, play and creative activities aid brain development.
