Your Baby's Brain is Surprising

A baby's neurons grow at incredible speed in the first few hours of their life.

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist María Alejandra Castro Arbeláez.

Written by Andria Navarro Taño (Agetna)

Last update: 27 December, 2022

Your baby’s brain is truly incredible and unique. There is nothing else in the world quite like it.

Within this little piece of tissue, extraordinary events take place. Even today, we are only beginning to understand and appreciate them.

Today at You Are Mom, we’ll look at some surprising facts about babies’ brains, and how parents can influence their development.

If this is something that interests you, read on.

The physical development of your baby’s brain

A baby’s brain grows most in the hours after birth. 

Something unique that happens at this stage is the development of a difference between the sexes. Male babies’ brains tend to grow faster than those of female babies.

The same thing happens with certain regions of the brain. The areas that develop during the earliest stages of life are those related to psycho-motor skills and the senses.

The early stages of emotional development

When they come into the world, babies act upon instinct. 

Many mothers like to think that our child understands what we say, and that they are trying to catch our eye and even win our heart.

But newborns are incapable of consciously understanding emotions. Their emotional development is only beginning

When they are hungry, have a wet diaper, feel sleepy or want their mother’s warmth, they attract your attention the only way they know how: by crying.

At first, they need to meet only the most vital needs, and respond to an instinct for self-preservation.

However, from a very early age, babies activate their unequalled ability to gather information. It is through this process that their brain matures.

Just as nourishment is essential for the child to grow up healthy, with no nutrient deficiencies and their body working as it should, emotional stimulation affects the growth of their brain.

This is why experts say that a child’s cognitive development depends entirely on the environment that they grow up in and the stimuli they receive.

Cuddling, singing or talking to your child, giving them kisses and breastfeeding them are excellent ways to boost the transformations taking place in your baby’s brain, and help them to understand the world around them.

During the first 3 months of life, a baby’s brain develops physically at an astonishing speed. But your child is also developing at a cognitive level.

At birth, your baby’s brain is made up of millions of neurons that need stimulation in order to make connections and form neuronal networks. These will allow them to carry out tasks and function as an emotional and rational human being.

Some of these neurons are already “programmed” to carry out functions related to the vital needs of your baby’s body.

But many others are available to assimilate information from their surroundings, forming connections (synapses). These will eventually create an immense neuronal network, which at this stage is constantly changing.

Your baby’s brain has an incredible plasticity, allowing it to transform and grow. 

The surprising brain of a baby

At birth, the human brain is poorly developed. It will only mature outside the womb and over time. 

Parents and other family members can and should contribute to the child’s brain development. They can do this by giving them messages of love and a harmonious home environment. Meet your child’s needs and make them happy.

As a mom, you probably know that your baby is not yet capable of remembering your dedication to them.

Your child will never know just how many sacrifices you made and how much you loved them. Their brain is not yet ready to remember.

But does it really matter whether your baby remembers what you do for them? Whether or not they know it, the affection you give your child and the positive emotions you transmit to them will contribute to their emotional intelligence and the overall development of their brain.