Early Brain Development

Studies have found that your relationship with your child affects his brain in many ways.

It is the expression of your love that affects the way your baby’s brain forms connections.

The way you interact with your baby and the experiences you provide have a big impact on his/her emotional development, learning abilities, and how he/she functions in later life.  Babies see the expressions on your face; they hear you cooing, singing, talking, and reading; they feel you holding or rocking them; they take in your familiar smells; they often experience the taste of your skin as well as their own.  Touch is especially important.  Holding and stroking an infant stimulates the brain to release important hormones that allow him/her to grow.  Your love for your child is, of course, the key to the powerful connection between the two of you.  But, it is the expression of your love that affects the way his/her brain forms connections.

By providing warm, responsive care, you strengthen his/her ability to handle his/her emotions.  Research also shows that a strong, secure connection with your baby helps him withstand the ordinary stresses of daily life--not just today, but in the future as well.  A strong bond doesn’t just reassure him, it actually affects the body’s ability to respond to stress.  Studies have shown that in stressful situations, children who have experienced a secure attachment to a parent are more adaptive and produce less cortisol, a stress hormone which affects metabolism, the immune system, and the brain.

Peer Review Status: Internally
Peer Review Date: 2004