The frontal lobes are the last area of the brain to mature and are responsible for important cognitive functions like memory, abstract thinking, planning, and impulse control. Early experiences and the environment a child develops in, both prenatally and postnatally, can impact brain development and structure. High levels of stress or anxiety experienced by the mother during pregnancy and lack of responsive caregiving during infancy can negatively impact brain development and increase risks of developmental and mental health issues later in life. Parental sensitivity and secure parent-child attachment during early childhood are associated with larger brain volumes and healthier brain development.

1. Frontal Lobes
-Labeled light blue
-Cortical region that has the most extended
period of development
-Associated with memory, abstract thinking,
planning, and impulse control
-Referred to as the prefrontal cortex
-Last area of brain to mature, responsible for
important developmental changes as late as
adolesence
The prefrontal cortex is the
site where most advanced
cognitive functions occur.
Such as attention,
motivation, and goal-directed
behavior. Prefrontal lobes are
not fully developed until the
age of 25 and these are the
most rational parts of the
brain.
Prenatal (conception-birth): Dr. Catherine Monk of Colombia
University says, "What fetuses experience in utero, in terms of
their mother's lifestyle, will turn on and off genes that will alter
their environment for the rest of their life". There is a
correlation between women having high levels of anxiety
during pregnancy and their child in 5 or so years having
attention deficit disorder. The fetus's brain is adjusting to the
biological signals from its mother. Adaptations that happen in
the uterus can have lasting effects. (2019)
Infancy & Toddlerhood (birth-2 years): "The quality of a
baby's relationships during this period has a major influence on
which brain connections take place". During this stage, if a
child is receiving ongoing maltreatment, they are quick to
sense danger and threats. The result of this is the child
experiencing anxiety and feelings of fear or insecurity. This
stage focuses on the importance of the quality of care the
baby is receiving. These connections and relationships reflect
how the baby will make relationships later in life. Responsive
care will result in healthy brain connections. (2020)
Early Experiences
Matter.
A parent's guide to exploring and learning the different aspects of children's cognitive
development. A way to understand the importance of the brain's connections to
cognitive, emotional, and social development in children. Cognitive development is
affected by prenatal and postnatal events in children. Learn about the ways you can give
the best parental guidance regarding the developmental trajectory of your child's brain.
"Nurturing care for the mind is
critical for brain growth. Children
grow and learn best in a safe
environment where they are
protected from neglect and from
extreme or chronic stress with
plenty of opportunities to play and
explore" (2021)
Cerebral Cortex
-Gives the brain wrinkled appearance
-Contains greatest number of neurons
-Brains most advanced activities occur
-Appears during prenatal development,
increases the surface area of the cerebral
cortex and allows more to be "packed"
inside the skull
-The ridges and grooves produced as a
result of the cerebral cortex create a
pattern that is essentially the same from
person to person (Ridges are called gyri
and grooves are called sulci)
Child development specialists have learned
over decades of research that the environment
of a child's earliest years can have effects that
last a lifetime. (2021)
Temporal Lobes
-Labeled yellow
-Hearing, language, skills, and social
understanding
-Also, perception of other people's eyes and
faces
The Brain Stem
-Controls reflexes and involuntary processes
such as breathing and heart beating
Cerebrum
-The largest part of the brain
-Area most involved in higher processes
such as memory and learning
Cerebellum
-Balance and coordination
- cdc.gov
Let's start with anatomy.
Created by gyri and sulci, the cerebral
cortex is divided into smaller units called
lobes.
Occipital Lobes
-Labeled green, at the back of the brain
-Controls vision
Parietal Lobes
-Labeled pink
-Associated with bodily sensations like heat,
cold, pressure, and pain
The limbic system which is
located beneath the cortex is
small structures that are
involved in more instinctive
behaviors such as emotional
reactions, stress responses,
and reward-seeking
behaviors.
How environment can affect brain
development at each developmental
stage:
FIRST 3
FIRST 3
YEARS
YEARS
Problem-solving
Communication
Self-Control
Relationship
Building
LOVE SAFETY
SECURITY
(2020)

2. Taking Action:
Things you can do to help
stimulate your baby's brain
development.
-Show affection towards
your child
-Comfort in all forms
-Different types of play
-Playing catch (two-player
games)
-Engage in dialogue as
much as possible
-Helpful stress (solving a
puzzle, managing difficult
feelings) (working through
this stress teaches
important life skills)
-Try new activities
-Read out loud and also
read the same books a
couple of times (builds
recognition between words
you speak and images on
page) (2020)
-Make believe play
-Symbolic Play
-Be responsive, loving, and
supportive
Early Childhood (2-6 years): The love and care children receive in this
stage reflects a crucial part of their early brain development. This
developmental stage is marked as one of the critical periods of
development. The number of synapses and neurons is doubled which
means the child is taking in an ample amount of information and
learning is occurring fast. A "growth mindset" occurs in this period and
the parent plays a large part in helping their child shape this mindset.
(Sriram, 2020)
Middle Childhood (6-11 years): In the middle childhood stage, the age
of 7 years old is an important milestone because the brain reaches adult
size. The child has more control of his or her emotions as well as
physical and intellectual capabilities. The parent's responsibility in this
stage is to give the child a stimulating, healthy environment in which
they can thrive. (Raymond, 2021)
Adolescence (11-18 years): Brain development looks a little different in
this stage as the child is having to navigate the social environment. The
child has more peer influences now and is undergoing social change.
Emotional regulation is important in adolesence as peer influence is
prevalent. Improving prosocial behavior and emotional regulation
abilities hold promise in reducing the risk of poor mental health as
adolescents navigate the changes in their social environment".
(Andrews, Ahmed, & Blakemore, 2020)
As seen in a longitudinal study done by the American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the caregiving a child receives at
early years predicts future functioning. In this study, participants
were enrolled in a population-based prenatal cohort. There were 191
families, and maternal/paternal sensitivity was observed between
the years of 1 and 4 for the child. Every 6 weeks, head circumference
was assessed and an MRI was done at 8 years of age. The results of
this study were that children with higher levels of both parental and
maternal sensitivity were found to be associated with larger total
brain volume. These results show that both mothers and fathers
play an important role in child brain development. (Kok, 2015)
LEARN THE SIGNS. ACT EARLY:
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/NCBDDD/ACTEARLY/INDEX.HTML
LEGACY FOR CHILDREN:
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/NCBDDD/CHILDDEVELOPMENT/LEGACY.HTML
EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION:
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/NCBDDD/HEARINGLOSS/RESEARCH.HTML
ESSENTIALS FOR CHILDHOOD:
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/VIOLENCEPREVENTION/CHILDABUSEANDNEGLECT/E
SSENTIALS.HTML
FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER PREVENTION:
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/NCBDDD/FASD/INTERVENTIONS.HTML
CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION:
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/VACCINES/PARTNERS/CHILDHOOD/INDEX.HTML
TREATING FOR TWO:
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/PREGNANCY/MEDS/TREATINGFORTWO/INDEX.HTML
BABIES: A Netflix Documentary
This documentary on Netflix follows
fifteen families during their babies first
year of life. Part 2, Episode 1,
specifically, focuses on the babies and
how there is expectations about their
everyday life. A scientist in the
documentary says, "At a time when
babies cant even walk, we are testing
their understanding of the world". All
of the scientists go in-depth about how
babies are smarter than we think they
are. They tie cognitive development
into many of their research studies
and how even one year old babies have
the ability to have abstract thoughts. It
is a great watch and a very well-filmed
documentary for learning more about
child development.
How environment can affect brain
development at each developmental
stage:
EARLY PARENTAL SENSITIVITY
EARLY PARENTAL SENSITIVITY
PREDICTS CHILD STRUCTURAL BRAIN
PREDICTS CHILD STRUCTURAL BRAIN
DEVELOPMENT:
DEVELOPMENT:
CDC PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT BRAIN
HEALTH:
Parent-Child Attachment Style is
important!
Secure attachment is linked to healthy
brain development. This makes the child
feel safe and cared for, which allows the
child to use its brain for higher level
thinking. Secure attachment is seen from
development of the frontal cortex. (Debellis
& Thomas, 2003; Dozier, et. al., 2008)