Babies need mental stimulation. You’re probably one of those parents who are already playing classical music during your pregnancy; according to studies, this is very helpful in stimulating your baby’s mind. But listening to classical music in-utero (in the womb) is only the first step in stimulating baby’s brain development, the human brain continues to grow for 25 years! There are a variety of effective things you can do to ensure that your baby is properly stimulated and nourished after they are born.
- Communicate with your baby. Sure, he/she is not yet equipped with the vocabulary to enable them to respond to you in a full sentence, but it does not mean that talking to them is futile. Talk to them while you dress them, bathe, and feed them. This encourages interaction and they will soon respond with a coo, smile or a few syllables.
- Engage baby in activities that stimulate their mind. Allow your baby to explore their surroundings by showing them around the house, take them for a stroll at the park or letting them play with safe household items like cups and pails. Just be sure that they don’t play with unsafe objects or put anything in their mouth.
- Give baby mind-stimulating toys like building blocks, shape sorters and push-and-pull toys. These will incite them to use their creativity, imagination, logical thinking and teach a variety of lessons like spatial awareness and cause-and-effect.
- Encourage socialization and interaction. Introduce your baby to other babies and your neighbors. Teach him/her the art of conversation by putting on a puppet show with toys like Baby Einstein puppets or give them a toy telephone. Have them imitate you when you talk to someone on the phone.
- Give constant signs of affection such as hugs and kisses to make your baby feel loved and cared for. This gives them the assurance that they are safe and secure; this is contributory to the development of a positive self-esteem.
- Read stories to your baby. This is important in widening your baby’s language capacity and introducing him/her to different concepts.
- Avoid subjecting your baby to stress. Don’t over stimulate baby by bringing them to crowded and noisy places. If you are in a noisy environment, always provide protective ear coverings (i.e. noise canceling headphones or earmuffs). Babies’ ears are more sensitive to loud noises than ours because their ear canals are smaller and their inner ear hair cells are more sensitive. Also, avoid having arguments in front of your baby, as this may cause psychological trauma and be detrimental to their overall sociological development and adaptation.
- Of course, it is of utmost importance that you give your baby the proper nutritional diet. When he/she starts on solid foods, make sure you give them adequate nutrients, vitamins and minerals. These are needed for their brain to thrive and develop properly.
Baby’s brain development is one of the most important aspects of his/her overall development as an individual. As parents, it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment where our children can explore with their minds and senses, learn about the world around them, and prosper.
Congratulations on your new baby, and Happy Pregnancy from The Inside Story Ultrasound!
* The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and is not meant in any way to replace medical advice given by healthcare professionals.