During your baby’s first year of life, their brain will double in size and create over one million new neural connections every second. This makes the first twelve months one of the most extraordinary periods of neurological growth and development your child will ever experience.
As parents, we’re often told to watch for milestones like rolling, crawling or sitting. Each new stage is part of your baby’s development and involves ongoing communication and coordination between their developing brain and body.
The Science Behind Your Baby’s Growing Brain
According to the Harvard Centre on the Developing Child, the first year of life is when neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and grow, is at its absolute peak. During this time, your baby’s nervous system is forming the foundational connections that influence everything from coordination and sleep to learning and emotional regulation later in life.
Every baby develops at their own pace, but the early months offer important clues about how well the brain and body are communicating. Every baby develops at their own pace, and the early months bring significant changes in movement, feeding, coordination and interaction. Observing these areas can help build a broader picture of your baby’s individual development.
What Early Milestones Tell Us
Each stage of development reflects an incredible amount of neurological communication and coordination.
Feeding:
Feeding involves a complex interaction between the nervous system and the muscles and structures involved in sucking, swallowing and breathing. Every baby’s feeding experience is unique, and we consider factors such as movement, comfort and coordination as part of understanding their individual presentation.
Head Control:
From around 8 to 12 weeks, many babies begin developing greater control and coordination of their head and neck movements, including turning their head and lifting it during tummy time. Head control develops through ongoing communication between the brain, nervous system and muscles as these pathways continue to mature.
Crawling:
Between 7 and 10 months, many babies begin exploring crawling and other ways of moving independently. Crawling involves coordinated, cross-patterned movement, with both sides of the body working together as the brain, nervous system and muscles continue to develop and coordinate movement.
Understanding the Stressors That Influence Development
Every child’s story begins long before birth. Pregnancy, birth and early life all involve periods of change and adaptation for both mum and baby. The nervous system plays an important role throughout development, responding to changes within the body and the surrounding environment.
During pregnancy, a baby’s nervous system undergoes significant development, influenced by many biological and environmental factors, including the maternal environment.
During birth, every baby has an individual experience. Whether birth is spontaneous, induced, assisted with forceps or involves a caesarean delivery, the birth experience forms an important part of your baby’s history.
After birth, feeding, sleep, movement and the surrounding environment all become part of your baby’s early experiences as their nervous system continues to develop and mature.
This isn’t about blame or guilt. It’s about recognising that every baby and parent has a unique experience, and considering these factors as part of the broader picture when understanding your baby’s individual presentation.
A Holistic and Measured Approach
At Beachside, we take the time to understand each child’s individual presentation, including aspects of their neuro-spinal system and how they are adapting to life’s many changes. We use gentle, non-invasive technology called INSiGHT Scans to gather information about aspects of nervous system function. These findings form part of the broader clinical picture and can be monitored over time.
We work closely with families to understand how children grow, move and interact, considering their nervous system, developmental stage and individual needs as part of a gentle, age-appropriate approach to care.
Trusting Your Instincts as a Parent
No one knows your child quite like you do. If you’ve noticed changes in their feeding, sleep, movement or development, those observations are an important part of their story. Asking questions and seeking appropriate information can help you better understand your baby’s individual development.
Our team at Beachside Family Chiropractic takes the time to listen to parents and understand each baby’s individual history and presentation.
If you’d like to learn more about our approach to paediatric assessment and care, we’d be happy to answer your questions.