Baby Development
The videos below show anumber of activities used at Baby Sensory classes which are specificallydesigned to help with Development of babies from birth.
This is a series of 5videos that will be launched on this site during the course of thisyear.
We will announce each video launch on our Facebook Group.
Baby Sensory founder, Dr Lin Day has been commissioned to write a series of articles about Baby Development for Early Years professionals. Take a look at a few samples of these articles below.
Choosing a Good Nursery
Choosing a good nursery is a big decision for most parents, but one that often causes great anxiety and raises many questions. The first step that parents might take is to visit a number of nursery settings to be absolutely confident that the one that they have chosen is right for their baby.
Knowing something about the nursery in advance of the visit can be helpful. The good nursery will have a reputation locally and will be known for its friendly approach and welcoming setting. Parents can also check out the following....
Swine flu: spread, prevention and treatment
The emergence and rapid spread of a new strain of influenza, swine flu H1N1, has raised concern among parents and practitioners. At the start of the outbreak, some nurseries and schools closed to prevent the spread of the virus. However, swine flu is now widespread within communities and this approach is no longer recommended.
Childcare settings and schools have an important role to play in preventing the spread of the virus, by taking sensible personal precautions and by following the good hygiene practices recommended by the Department of Health. Parents are also more likely to accept the need for good hygiene practice if they are kept fully informed of how the virus might spread and the likely effect of countermeasures. Read more....
What do Babies See?
At birth, sight is the least developed sense. The ability to see objects and colours clearly depends on the development of the visual cortex, the maturity of the retina, coordination of the eye muscles and focusing ability. Until these complex systems have matured, images, shapes and colours will appear blurry.
By eight months of age, the ability to see clearly has nearly reached normal adult levels. The rapid pace of development is highly dependent on the amount of visual stimulation that the baby receives. If the baby is deprived of visual stimulation, cells in the visual cortex may decrease or develop abnormally which can have serious implications for hand-eye coordination later on. Other problems may include clumsiness, difficulties in concentrating and reading and writing problems when the child goes to school.
The brain is divided into two halves or cerebral hemispheres by a deep fissure. However, both sides of the brain are able to communicate with each other through the corpus callosum, a thick tract of nerve fibres that lies at the base of the fissure. Read more....
Left-right Brain Dominance
The brain is divided into two halves or cerebral hemispheres by a deep fissure. However, both sides of the brain are able to communicate with each other through the corpus callosum, a thick tract of nerve fibres that lies at the base of the fissure.
Although the two hemispheres appear to be similar, each half has its own unique set of functions. Studies show that the right hemisphere is dominant for emotions, creativity, music and rhythm and that the left brain is dominant for mathematical and language abilities. Although both sides of the brain have the ability to analyse, process and store information, form thoughts and ideas and make decisions, one side of the brain is usually more dominant than the other. Brain dominance affects learning, determines personality and influences behaviour. Read more....
A Good Night’s Sleep
For most parents, the two main problems are falling asleep and stayingasleep. Some babies fall asleep easily and stay asleep while othersfall asleep easily, but wake up frequently. Some babies go to sleepwith difficulty, but stay asleep, while others do not want to go tosleep or stay asleep. Babies that were good sleepers at six months ofage may develop sleeping difficulties as they grow older and viceversa.
Sleep problems are common in babies, but understanding and knowinghow to deal with them enables parents to get a better night’s sleep forthemselves, which in turn enables them to provide loving, patient andconsistent care for their baby. Read more...
Dads are important too!
Anthropologist Margaret Mead once said that fathers were a biologicalnecessity, but a social accident. One of our greatest theorists,Sigmund Freud, believed that mothers were biologically suited to bebetter parents than fathers. In fact, fathers were relegated to therole of provider and little else. John Bowlby, a British psychiatrist,also reinforced the idea that the mother was the first and mostimportant object of infant attachment. Even Harry Harlow’s experimentwith rhesus monkeys promoted the idea of the mother as the maincare-giver. However, male rhesus monkeys have been shown to make goodfathers in the absence of the female. Many animal studies support theview that males make good fathers. Marmoset and tamarin monkeys assumea fatherly role with their infants, chewing food for them and evenassisting at the birth. Generally, the female’s willingness is thecrucial factor in determining paternal involvement.
Read more....Music for Babies and Children
It is impossible to define exactly what music is, although most peopleaccept that it might be sound through singing or active music-making.What is certain is that music helps us to communicate thoughts, ideasand emotions in ways that no other stimulus can. It offers a wholerange of other benefits too, from pain and stress management toimproved motor and rhythmic coordination. It also contributesunequivocally to the positive development of the human brain.
In the home or nursery, music can set the tone for a relaxed, warmand inviting atmosphere. It can help parents and practitioners addressthe emotional, creative, language and social needs of infants and itcan be used to support movement activities. Music can also meet theneeds of babies and children from different cultures. The effect ofmusic on children with sensory impairments, disabilities, illnesses andspecial learning needs can also be far-reaching. Read more....
Sensory Baby
The next time you read a book, stop for a moment and marvel at theamazing capacity of the brain to carry out such an intricate task.Processing information and co-ordinating the eyes involves many complexinteractions between the brain and senses. Sensations from the outsideworld are changed into electrical impulses and carried to the brain,which then decodes the information to produce the image that is seen.Although the process of gathering and deciphering information beginsbefore birth, as soon as the baby leaves the womb, the sense organswork overtime. This is the beginning of sensory education.
Read more...The Power of Touch
Babies have a biological need for close physical affection. Nothing ismore important to their emotional, physical and intellectualdevelopment than a comforting cuddle or a loving touch. What is certainis that babies who are cuddled, stroked and caressed are more likely togrow up to be loving social beings. They also gain independence andconfidence, which leads on to an important milestone by the end of thefirst year: the ability to play alone.
Babies that are regularly touched gain weight faster, developstronger immune systems, crawl and walk sooner, sleep more soundly andcry less than babies deprived of close physical contact. Children thatare given plenty of physical affection show more task orientatedbehaviour, less solitary play and less aggression at school. They alsoachieve higher levels of educational qualifications in later life. Read more....
A Sense of Smell
All seasons offer a range of tantalising smells to stimulate thesenses. The spring is no exception. The air is filled with thefragrance of flowers, the rich loamy smell of wet earth, freshly mowngrass, new leaves growing and wealth of other olfactory (smell)experiences. These smells are converted to electrical signals whichreach areas of the brain involved in emotion and memory. This is whysmells experienced in early infancy can bring on a flood of emotivememories in later life. No other sense has the same power to do this.
Read more....Pet Assisted Therapies
Research shows that having a pet can provide a wide range of health andemotional benefits for babies and children. Most are associated withrelease of the hormone, oxytocin.
Oxytocin has been called the ‘cuddle’, ‘love’ or ‘bonding’ hormonefor its role in facilitating pair-bonding and long-term attachment.Stroking, holding, cuddling or patting an animal releases oxytocin intothe bloodstream in the same way that cuddling a familiar adult does,giving rise to feelings of happiness, calm and contentment. As aconsequence, the child becomes less anxious and more willing to makefriends. The hormone also heightens emotional feelings towardsinanimate objects, which is why some people name their cars, cry whenthey sell their belongings and show generosity towards completestrangers. Similarly, oxytocin orchestrates attachment to a soft toy orspecial blanket, since it is associated with comfort and warm feelingsbetween the baby and the parent. Read more....
Baby Signing
Babies are born with an inherent body languagethat is common to all cultures. Long before the emergence of speech,babies spontaneously communicate with their parents using gestures andsounds to stimulate their loving attention. Smiling, for example is thefirst friendly sign that keeps the mother close and attentive. In laterlife, it acts in a hundred different ways to signal amicable feelingstowards people. It is without doubt, the most important social signalin the human repertoire of gestures and signs.
Many parents experience intense frustration inunderstanding their baby’s signals. Even though common sense goes someway in helping them understand their baby’s needs or wants, inpractice, they have to respond to a dozen or more cues and come up withthe right solution. Sign language is one way of taking the guessworkout of parenting! Read more....
Early Nurturing and Attachment
Bonding is an intense emotional tie between theparent and baby that often begins during pregnancy and continues afterbirth. Nevertheless, after all the excitement and anticipation, whenthe baby finally arrives, some parents find it difficult to form anattachment with their baby. In the past, researchers thought that timespent with the newborn was sure to seal the bond between them.However, there is no evidence to suggest that bonding begins at birth.We now know that parent-baby bonding is very complicated and that thereare many reasons why relationships take time to grow and develop.
Read more.... The Language Path
The acquisition of speech and language are complexlife skills and yet babies understand words and whole sentences longbefore they can speak. What is so extraordinary is that babies up tothe age of ten months have the capacity to learn several languages.Adults, however, have great difficulty in managing the grammar anddialects of new languages because they are accustomed to the sounds andcodes of their native tongue.
Read more.... Solitary Confinement
Health professionals are increasingly concernedthat motor delays in babies may well be related to the amount of timespent in containers such as car seats, carriers, bouncers, swings,walkers and strap-in chairs. While containers have their uses, babieswho spend too much time in them may develop problems such as flatteningof the skull, contorted neck muscles and delays in sitting, crawling,walking and speaking. Container overuse may also be partiallyresponsible for spine and back disorders in later life.
Baby containers can be useful in allowing parentsand practitioners the freedom to accomplish chores at busy times of theday. Containers may also offer a solution when nothing else seems tosoothe or settle the baby. Well-meaning parents and practitioners mayput babies in them for safety, support and entertainment, but even so,they should not be used as permanent ‘baby sitters’. A caring nurserywill have put some thought into the amount of time that babies spend incontainers and parents are advised to look carefully at how often therestraint systems are used. Read more....
Babies and Mathematics
Learning basic mathematical concepts is a complexbusiness, but in trying to understand the world, babies naturally seekout problems to solve. The challenge for the parent or practitioner isto create an interesting and rich environment in which early math (andscience) learning can occur.
This article provides an overview of basicmathematical understanding in the first year and suggests ways in whichparents and practitioners can encourage a love of math in babies thatwill stand them in good stead for the future. Read more....
Babies Are So Clever!
This is the first in a series of articles about baby learning and development. However, you won't find advice on nutrition, feeding, safety or hygiene. The aim of each article is to explain how babies learn, develop or acquire language and to demonstrate wy sensory experiences, tummy time and early nurturing are so important. Babies have an amazing capacity to learn, but because parents or practitioners may not know what to look for, skills and capabilities may go unnoticed. This article reveals just how clever babies are and offers parents and practitioners a significant and remarkable opportunity to enjoy the learning potential of these incredible beings right from the start! Read more....
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes: the drive to walk
The first year of life is unlike any other stage in human physical development. In a relatively short period of time, the baby changes from a helpless individual to a walking toddler. Parents never forget their baby's first steps. It is a momentous achievement! At that moment, the baby becomes a toddler and a whole new world of learning opens up. Read more....
Omega-3 makes Babies Brainier
Seafood is one of the richest sources of omega-3 essential fatty acid. Recent data suggest that even small amounts of seafood consumed during pregnancy can make a significant difference to the development of the foetal brain, nervous and visual systems as well as overall growth. Omega-3 also provides excellent long-term health benefits for children such as improved motor co-ordination, communication and concentration skills. Clinical studies have paved the way for a much better understanding of its use as a food supplement for children with learning disabilities, asthma, eczema and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Read more....
Chemicals: A Safe Start in Life
When a parent purchases baby care products or toys, the last thing that crosses their mind is whether they contain chemicals that may harm their baby. However, parents and practitioners owe it to themselves and to their baby to know all about the products they use, the potential risks and how to seek suitable alternatives. Babies are particularly susceptible to chemicals due to their rapid rate of growth and development. Even exposure to small doses of common everyday chemicals can have a profound effect on their future health, learning and development. Read more....
Tummy Time
Modern day practices suggest putting babies on their backs to sleep and while this has contributed to a significant decrease in cot death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), they may miss out the crawling stage, which is crucial to later learning. Babies need to be on their tummies in order to go through the fundamental movement patterns (for example, raising the head, creeping, and crawling) that stimulate both sides of the brain and lay the foundation for later reading and writing. If the crawling stage is avoided, they may encounter learning problems in school, no matter how intelligent they are. The good news is that even five minutes of ‘Tummy Time’ a day can lessen or eliminate these potential problems, and have a positive effect on head shape. This article explains why tummy time is so important to baby development and learning and what parents and practitioners can do to make it a happy and productive experience. Read more....
Premature Babies
Statistics show that one in fourteen babies arrive in the world too soon. The UK has the highest rate of preterm deliveries in Western Europe with about 50,000 babies born prematurely each year. Despite medical advances, figures are on the increase after fifteen years of stagnancy. Read more....
Sex and Gender: Why do boys and girls behave differently?
Some experts believe that the way in which boys and girls are raised determines behaviour. We now know that is not completely true. The fact that males differ by just one Y chromosome could help to explain why certain behaviours are more dominant in one sex than the other. Scientists have found that all foetuses are female in the first six weeks after conception. After this, testosterone surges through the brain of the male foetus, depleting the communication and emotional centres of some cells and promoting the growth of cells responsible for aggressive behaviour. In the absence of the testosterone rush, the areas of the brain responsible for language, creativity, emotion and social development continue to grow unperturbed. Read more....