7. 0 1 4 8 12 16
AGE
Human Brain Development – Synapse Formation
Sensing
Pathways
(vision, hearing)
Language
Higher
Cognitive Function
3 6 9
-3
-6
Months Years
C. Nelson, in From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000.
Conception
3rd Set of Numbers to Remember
8. Remember! Experience Builds
Connections
• Early childhood
experiences physically
determine how the brain is
“wired.”
• Early sensory experiences
create new synapses.
• Repetition of experiences
strengthen them.
9. PLASTICITY of the Brain
POSITIVE - More open to learning and
enriching influence
NEGATIVE - vulnerable to developmental
problems should the environment
prove to be impoverished and un-
nurturing
10. Micronutrients such as iron,
iodine, zinc, fatty acids, choline,
B-vitamins, folic acid are crucial
in the process of creating
structures in the brain.
For children
1 to 6 years
Importance of Proper Nutrition
(Prado & Dewey, 2014; Nyaradi, Li, Hickling, Foster, & Oddy, 2013)
11. Importance of Proper Nutrition
(Prado & Dewey, 2014; Nyaradi, Li, Hickling, Foster, & Oddy, 2013)
Deficiencies in these micronutrients and
malnutrition may result to:
• Fewer number of neurons, lower synaptic density,
lesser dendritic branching , reduced myelination
• Lower levels of fluid intelligence
• Anencephaly, spina bifida
• Mental retardation, speech and hearing
impairment
• Inferior performance in language skills, fine motor
skills, and attention
• Lower levels of spatial ability and short term
memory Anencephaly
12. What can parents and caregivers do?
Importance of Proper Nutrition
(Prado & Dewey, 2014; Nyaradi, Li, Hickling, Foster, & Oddy, 2013)
• Take care of mother’s health
• Breastfeed
• Choose to give children food that
is carbohydrate-rich but low-
glycemic for breakfast
• Choose to give children
homemade food over store-
bought food
• Have child’s health checked
regularly
13. References
Holland, D., Chang, L., Ernst, T., Curran, M., Buchthal, S., Alicata, D., Skranes, J., Johansen, H., Hernandez, A.,
Yamakawa, R., Kuperman, J., & Dale, A. 2014. Structural Growth Trajectories and Rates of Change in the First
3 Months of Infant Brain Development. JAMA Neurology, 71 (10), pp. 1266-1274. doi:
10.1001/jamaneurol.2014.1638.
Johnson, M. 2010. Functional Brain Development during Infancy. In: Bremner, J. & Wachs, T. ed. The Wiley-
Blackwell Handbook of Infant Development (2nd ed). UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., pp. 295-313.
Lagercrantz, H. 2016. Infant Brain Development: Formation of the Mind and the Emergence of
Consciousness. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Nyaradi ,A., Li, J., Hickling, S., Foster, J., & Oddy, W. 2013. The role of nutrition in children’s neurocognitive
development, from pregnancy through childhood. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol. 7 (Article 97), pp.
1-16. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00097.
Ptito, M., & Desgent, S. 2006. Sensory Input-Based Adaptation and Brain Architecture. In: Baltes, P., Reuter-
Lorenz, P., & Roseler, F. ed. Lifespan Development and the Brain: The Perspective of Biocultural Co-
Constructivism. UK: Cambridge University Press..
Prado, E., & Dewey, K. 2014. Nutrition and brain development in early life. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 71(4), pp.
267-284. doi: 10.1111/nure.12102.
Shonkoff, J., & Phillips, D. (eds). 2000. From Neurons t Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood
Development. Washington D.C., USA: National Academy Press.
A good guide to good carbs: The glycemic index. Retrieved March 23, 2017 from
http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/a-good-guide-to-good-carbs-the-glycemic-index.
