brain development of child Archives - Page 2 of 2

Brain power improves by brain use, just as our body strength grows with exercise. A child’s brains undergo an amazing period of development from birth to three years as in the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second. The brain is the command center of the human body. A newborn baby has all of the brain cells (neurons) they’ll have for the rest of their life, but it’s the connections between these cells that really make the brain work. Brain connections enable us to move, think, communicate and do just about everything.

The early childhood years are crucial for making these connections. The brain development of child is influenced by many factors such as the kid’s environment, relationships, daily activities and of course eating habits (Know some foods helps in brain development of child). As soon as the baby is born, his/ her brain is ready to learn and they depend upon parents, family members and other caregivers to help them to develop the right skill to become independent and lead a healthy and successful life.

Many parents ask how they can help their child’s brain development. The best way is to actively engage your child through everyday activities like playing, reading and being there when he/she feels stress.

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ACTIVITIES to encourage brain development of child:

Interaction:

Quality interaction is the key for cognitive development. Responding to your baby’s coos and cries, making eye contact and showing them funny faces is the type of interaction you can do in their early months and soon you will see them responding in their own sign language.

Hiding game:

By the age of 5 to 7 months babies start to recognize objects or the knowledge that something still exists even when it’s not visible. Showing any object like their feeding bottle and then moving it out of their sight and asking your baby where is the bottle gone, helps them to think and use their brain which contributes to brain development of child.

Introduce books:

Books play a vital role in brain development of child as well as motor skill development. You can introduce board books from 6 months and paper books from 1 year. Show different colors, shapes and objects through these books or just allow your baby to turn the pages by themselves and let them observe and memorize things.

Story telling:

Reading and storytelling with babies and children promotes brain development and imagination, develops language and emotions, and strengthens relationships. When children listen to a story, their imagination is on steroids! They’re picturing characters, they’re living the plot and they’re visualizing the setting; they’re sowing the first seeds of creativity. Encourage them to talk to you about the plot and characters, ask them how they think a character could behave, let them ask questions whenever they feel like they’re simply learning how to express themselves.

Block games:

As soon as the baby starts sitting you can introduce the block games. There are lots of block games available in the market, you can choose according to your baby’s age. Block games help kids to express their imagination and helps them to understand different shapes and colors. Create simple patterns with blocks and ask your toddler try to copy the patterns. This is a simple way to help your child observe patterns.

Jigsaw Puzzle games:

Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to develop your child’s spatial perception, coordination, problem-solving, cognitive skills and fine motor skills. These puzzles are awesome for their brain development. But always choose which is age appropriate as if it’s too difficult, kids get impatient and give up. For one year olds you can choose a puzzle with a few pieces whereas for kids over 3 year, try a 16 to 20-piece jigsaw puzzle with large pieces. Older children can handle even more difficult puzzles.

Memory games:

Playing memory games can improve brain functions, such as attention, concentration, and focus. Simple matching activity for younger children, increase or decrease complexity by changing the number of elements. You can also show any picture for a limited time and ask your child to memorize things in the picture and then list the objects in the picture without seeing them. Finding the difference between two pictures is also a good memory game for a toddler. (How to increase concentration and focus in kids?)

Obstacle games (jumping, running and skipping):

Physical activities not only help in physical development but also aids in brain development. Obstacle games are easy to set up in your room or garden. You can create a simple obstacle for younger kids and a little creativity for older kids which may include something to walk on, crawl under, crawl through, jump, throw, hop, solve a riddle, the possibilities are endless.

Spending time in nature:

Another tip to improve concentration in kids is spending time in nature. Research suggests that natural environments could benefit brain development and may also improve concentration power in children. Even a 20-minute walk in the park could help improve concentration in kids more than a walk of the same length in an urban setting.

Games for 5 +kids:

If your child is above 5 years you can start with games like chess, sudoku, crossword and math games

NUTRIENTS FOR brain DEVELOPMENT OF child

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS: These healthy fats are crucial to brain and eye development, and can help stabilize mood. (What are some food sources of omega 3?)

COMPLEX CARBS: These nutrients not only fuel brain, but also protect brain cells against damage from free radicals released from pollution, stress (Some super tasty carbs for kids)

ANTIOXIDANTS: Studies have shown that antioxidants may help to counteract the unstable molecules that comprise free radicals (What are they and foods rich in antioxidants?), counteracting the negative effects of oxidative stress.

CHOLINE: Vitamin B4, also known as choline, is a nutrient that is essential for development of brain, memory and muscle function. It also helps the brain communicate with the rest of the body and can help regulate mood (What other foods help with mood?).

HERBS : Herbs like curcumin, brahmi. Ashwagandha and shalaki improves brain function. protects the brain nerve cells from damage. this would increase their focus and attention, while keeping them calm and distressed. (How can ayurvedic herbs help with brain development?)

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With the increasing pressure of school based education, Olympiads, external competitions like spell bee and extracurricular activities, it becomes important as a parent to set your child on the right path from the very beginning. The brain development of child starts from the very first week of pregnancy and continues throughout the childhood and adult years. As such, taking care of proper brain development by eating brain development food for child , following proper sleep schedule and daily exercise can help. (How to improve concentration in kids?)

What causes Cognitive decline or aging of brain?

Imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals is the basis for free radical damage resulting in aging and cognitive decline. This cycle is natural. However, to protect the body from any damage and early decay, we must maintain a balance of free-radials and anti-oxidants. Therefore, we must eat real foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables in as much variety as possible to be able to absorb complete nutrition to keep this balance. Also we must maintain a healthy number of good bacteria in our gut. This combined with anti-oxidants will protect the body from diseases and illness. (How to keep the gut healthy?)

BRAIN DEVELOPMENT FOOD FOR CHILD:

There is no magic pill to prevent cognitive decline. However, consuming a lot of nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains can protect the brain from early aging and (now common) dysfunctions. Nutrients like omega3 food, B vitamins and antioxidants support brain health. That is why brain development food for child must contain these nutrients and incorporating food rich in these on a regular basis can improve the health of the brain, memory, cognition and attention. In addition to this, Ayurvedic herbs can help with the brain development of child if given from the early years.

Ayurvedic brain supplements are increasingly researched due to their biosafety profile and usefulness in cognitive impairment. They do not yield results over-night. Herbal supplements for brain help only when they are taken for a prolonged period of time. Long-term consumption of purely crafted supplements do not make your body dependent on the herbal drug or supplement. (Do healthy kids need vitamin supplements?)

BRAHMI

Bramhi attacks the free radical scavengers and protects cells in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and DNA damage. It reduces stress-induced hippocampal damage and hence is a great supplement for brain. Herbal supplements do not have harmful impact on the body.

Brahmi is a superfood for brain and is believed to sharpen the brain by protecting cells and increasing chemicals associated with learning and memory. It has shown to improve spatial learning and retaining power in kids. In older times, kids were often given Brahmi powder with ghee/honey. This would increase their focus and attention, while keeping them calm and destressed. (Foods that help kids keep better?)

Here are some scientific research papers which speak about the positive impact of Brahmi on overall health (read research). Here is a NIH study that elaborates on cognitive function benefit of Brahmi.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. Adaptogens are herbal supplements that work to counteract the effects of stress in the body. Stress causes very real physical changes in the body, including harming the neurological, endocrine, and immune systems. Adaptogens have stimulant properties that help counteract those harmful effects.

The root of Ashwagandha smells like horse (“ashwa”), that is why it is called Ashwagandha (on consuming it gives the power of a horse).

Ashwagandha is commonly available as a churna, a powder that can be mixed with water, ghee (clarified butter) or honey. It enhances the function of the brain and nervous system and improves the memory. It improves the function of the reproductive system promoting a healthy reproductive balance. Being a powerful adaptogen, it enhances the body’s resilience to stress, fatigue, pain and anxiety. And improves the body’s defense against disease by improving the body cells immunity and it also possesses potent antioxidant properties that help protect against cellular damage caused by free radicals.

Best way to give Ashwagandha to children is mixing it with milk. Make a paste by mixing it with water and apply to reduce inflammation in the body and treat wounds, ulcers and painful swellings.

Here are some scientific research papers which speak about the positive impact of Ashwagandha on Immunity (read research) and Brain development (read research). More details of this herb around its health benefits, side effects, safety, how to consume it, etc. can be found here.

Curcumin

A compound found in turmeric, offers therapeutic relief. It is a rich antioxidant which supports against brain cell damage. It has found to delay or reverse brain diseases or age related decreases in brain function. This is a great brain development food for child.

Curcumin has a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which is found in the brain and spinal cord that plays a key role in keeping nerve cells healthy, as well as regulating communication between nerve cells, which is critical for learning and memory for kids. (What is the turmeric home-remedy for cold and flu?)

Consuming turmeric on a daily basis with black pepper helps to keep the nerve cells healthy. It works best when consumed with black pepper, ginger and some honey for taste.

There are several scientific studies on the impact of Curcumin on cognition and memory. Here is a NIH study that elaborates the benefits of Curcumin on cognition. Here is the study which supports Curcumin for memory.