Under construction – your baby’s brain

Your baby’s brain begins to develop before they are born, and the period after birth is a time of rapid brain development. But, did you know that the human brain continues to develop for about 25 years and remains 'plastic' throughout our lives?^[1]

Brain development after birth

When scientists describe our brains as 'plastic', this means they are able to change in response to our experiences. There is some debate among scientists about why human babies have evolved to be born with so much brain development still to happen. Other young mammals are born with much more developed brains. We can’t really know exactly why this is, but scientists are able to study how brains develop after birth, which helps us to understand what supports your baby’s brain development.^[1]

Supporting your baby to make connections

Your interactions with your baby, and their experiences early in their lives, are an important part of their brain development. When you hold, touch, speak to and respond to your baby, you are supporting them to make and strengthen connections in their brain.

Your baby is learning from their experiences and will begin to predict your response in some familiar situations. You'll notice they respond to your smiles, touch or voice with a little wriggle or by becoming still for a moment – showing that they are beginning to predict what might happen next.

Reference:

[1] Feldman Barrett, L. (2020). Seven and a half lessons about the brain. Picador.