It's in Your Hands to Turn Your Child Into a Smart Baby

If you want your baby to grow up as a smart baby, then you need to pay special attention to the baby's needs. The period from five months prenatal to five years of age is most critical in the development of your baby's brain.

The brain of a baby needs external stimuli to build intelligent pathways. The stimulation, which can be through touch, movement or sound, activates the baby's brain cells. The information starts getting stored even before a baby is born. One reason why babies learn their mother tongue so quickly is because they hear their parents talking. Parents who sing to their unborn baby or tell stories accelerate this process.

Research shows that a baby's brain starts shedding inactive cells in the seventh and eighth months. Parents can save some of these cells if they spend some time communicating with their unborn baby. By doing so, they are stimulating the inactive cells, and giving the brain a reason to wire them in intelligent ways. You must remember that a baby with more active cells is more likely to be born a smart baby.

After birth, parents can play an even bigger role in turning their baby into a smart baby. What is important is to be patient and gentle. Parents who try to push their baby into becoming an overnight genius are doing a great disservice to their child.

The best way to teach a baby is through affection. A happy baby responds with glee to any information that the parents provide. There is no resistance to new ideas. The brain cells synthesize information in a positive manner.

Another important requirement for a smart baby is nutrition. The mother should take particular care of her diet during pregnancy, and should seek her doctor's advice regarding nutrition. Malnourished mothers invariably give birth to babies whose brains are smaller and have fewer neurons.

Foods rich in proteins and vitamins are an important part of a child's diet during the first five years. Mother's milk is a must. Research shows that babies who are fed breast milk have higher IQs.

Parents should also provide plenty of repetition if they want their baby to grow into a smart baby. When a baby wants to do things again and again, her parents should oblige - as repeating an activity makes the neural pathways stronger.

The same is true of stimulation. Be it visual, auditory or tactile, it is the best way to make a baby's brain grow. It is also a good way to create interests and hobbies that can last a lifetime.