A baby's brain is born with 100-billion neurons. That may seem
like a lot, but a baby is wired at birth for just the basics:
breathing, heartbeat, circulation, sleeping, sucking, and
swallowing. The rest of the brain, the cerebral cortex
especially, is just developing. Those neurons start connecting
and, at their peak, reach up to two-million synapses a second.
They call this the exuberant period. And parents play a crucial
part as this development is helped along by touch, play, songs,
rhymes and just plain old talking to, and with, our babies.
There is so much going on in your child’s brain, and we’ve
pulled together everything we’ve got on this page, from what we
know about children's personalities (born or made?), to how a
lack of touch inhibits a child's growth. From how bullying
affects a child's brain, to how rhythm feeds a child's brain.
It's not only all very exuberant. It's fascinating. - Your
Child's Brain watch video » - Your Child's Temperament - fixed
or changeable? read more » - Parenting & You