Infant stimulation

- during the first year, 1-year old baby's brain will have reached 70% of its adult weight.
- 70-85% of all the previously set down brain cells will be completely developed.
- 45% of your baby's brain growth takes place during the first year!
- this crucial time from conception to 1 year old of age as the period of the "brain growth spurt".

- introduce a form of play that challenges your baby's mind and satisfies his/her newly discovered preferences
- best that your baby is presented with experiences that foster learning and growth, not by force-feeding knowledge but rather through an interactive loving relationship that pleases your baby.

    * Your child's environment has the strongest impact on his brain during the growth spurt period
    * Interaction is more valuable than observation
    * Curiosity: stimulation begets stimulation
    * Baby's attentiveness is vital
    * Baby learns through repetition
    * Baby's position makes a difference in stimulation
    * Baby needs to experience warmth and love
    * Being sensitive to baby's cues is important

(adapted from Dr Ludington's studies, 1985)