A newborn's brain contains 100 billion neurons, and it will develop trillions of cell connections within its first years, according to Scholastic.com. Although an infant's brain is already hardwired to handle tasks such as language development, it is also vulnerable to environmental stimulation. If you provide loving and enriching experiences for your infant, you aid her brain in making those cell connections, which ultimately will give her better language, planning and reasoning skills, says Scholastic.com.
Step 1
Eat well, take prenatal vitamins and avoid alcohol or drugs when you're pregnant. Talk to your doctor about what you should be eating, and ask for help quitting smoking, drinking or using drugs before you try to conceive to reduce your baby's risk of brain damage.
Supplement your diet with prenatal vitamins, which contain important nutrients including calcium, iron and folic acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps develop your baby's neural tube, which will later become his brain and spinal cord, according to BabyZone.com.
Step 2
Talk to your baby. Begin from the time your baby is in the womb, telling stories or talking to her about your day. Continue talking to her once she is born using a high-pitched voice and slowly drawn-out syllables, suggests Scholastic.com. Other ways to help develop her understanding of language are to repeat her sounds and talk about what you're doing while making eye-contact and smiling, according to the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Step 3
Read to your baby. Select books that have large and colorful images, point at pictures and make appropriate sounds, such as animal noises when reading a farm book, and change the tone of your voice as is appropriate, suggests Scholastic.com. Reading to your baby builds his ability to understand spoken words before he ever starts talking.
Step 4
Sing. Choose songs such as "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Pat-a-Cake," which incorporate finger play, body motions and sounds, recommends Scholastic.com. Singing songs will enhance your infant's ability to understand rhyme, rhythm and language patterns and using movements will help her integrate sounds with motor actions.
Step 5
Focus on your baby's interests. For example, follow his pointing finger with your gaze and make a comment on what he points at, suggests Scholastic.com. This will confirm to your baby that his observations and interests are important to you.
Step 6
Respond promptly when your baby cries. You won't spoil him if you calm, cuddle and nurture him everyday. In fact, your reassuring tone will build positive brain circuitry in the area of the brain that relates to emotions, says Scholastic.com.
Step 7
Find a high-quality childcare if you can't be at home with your baby. Look for a clean, safe environment that allows your baby to play with developmentally appropriate toys and get a lot of one-on-one interaction with caregivers, says the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Ideally, the childcare providers should have a solid understanding of early childhood development.
Tips and Warnings
- Ask your doctor whether breastfeeding is an option. Breastfeeding requires both the mother and the infant to be patient and persistent to adapt to a routine. Some women encounter challenges such as health conditions that prevent them from ever being able to breastfeed. Children who were breastfed as infants have IQ scores that are, on average, seven to 10 points higher than IQs of formula-fed infants, according to AskDrSears.com.
Things You'll Need
- Prenatal vitamin
- Colorful baby books
