Your Baby's Brain in the First 3 Years

First Three Years

The first few years of your baby’s life are crucial for proper brain development. There is a vast laundry list of things that are happening as they develop and the key component is making sure their little brains are developing at an optimal level. In the first few years of life, your child’s brain is going through the most accelerated growth for neural connections, pathways, and development. This is laying the foundation for cognitive, emotional, and social development throughout life. And during this time, your child’s brain undergoes rapid changes in structure and function.

Primitive Reflexes

One of the ways to analyze and understand how the brain is developing is through something called, “Primitive Reflexes.” Primitive reflexes are automatic, involuntary movements that are present at birth and play a crucial role in early development. They are important because they help infants survive and navigate their environment. Primitive reflexes are essential for feeding, protection, and motor skill development. There is a specific time when we want them to be on and after your child has hit a specific level in their brain development, these primitive reflexes should be turned off. What we typically see when working with toddlers and kids is that some of these primitive reflexes don’t fully turn off, which leads to low vagal tone due to stress turned on in the nervous system, increase in anxiety, behavioral, emotional, speech/motor delays, ADHD, etc.

Tummy Time

It’s important for babies not to lift their heads excessively or spend too much time upright in the first few months of life because their neck muscles and spinal structures are still developing. Excessive strain on the neck and spine can lead to discomfort, misalignments, and potential issues with motor development. Limiting upright time allows for gradual strengthening of muscles and proper alignment. This is why we recommend only starting out in the first few months of your newborn’s life—no more than 1-2 hours per day.

Brain Development

Early developmental milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and walking, are closely linked to neurological maturation. These milestones reflect the development of motor skills, coordination, balance, and sensory integration. Each milestone builds upon the previous ones, showcasing the intricate connection between the brain, nervous system, and physical abilities. The first year of life is designed for the child to get vertical. The second year of their lives is for them to become social. There are many different stages of brain development that can give us information to understand. If we are not moving along in a specific time frame, there may be delays or a lack of optimal brain development that chiropractic care can uncover and get to the root cause to help your child get back on the path to optimal brain and neurodevelopment.

Reflexes

Spotting reflexes that haven’t been integrated involves observing a child’s movements and responses. If certain reflexes persist beyond their typical timeframe or interfere with normal development, it may indicate a need for further assessment. Being trained and certified in pediatrics allows me to evaluate reflex integration and recommend appropriate interventions, such as specific adjustments, cranial work, and helping turn off those primitive and postural reflexes that may still be integrated (turned on).

Neurological Tone

Tone is determined by the overall nervous system and how it is functioning. A nervous system that has subluxations (miscommunications) creates something called, “Dis-Ease.” This word is different from the medical term, “disease,” because it means the nervous system is not in a state of ease. When a child, or just a human in general, has a miscommunication (subluxation), it puts the body in a state of dis-ease which leads to limitations in movement, poor posture, and will affect the overall health of the child. With less movement, which leads to poor posture, it does not allow for the brain or nervous system to be optimally developed. Through specific, neuro-focused chiropractic care, we can help make sure your child has the proper tone in their nervous system to support overall health and brain development, which leads to better muscle tone, posture, spinal alignment, and well-being.

Importance of Laying on the Back

Babies are designed to spend significant time on their backs during early development because this position promotes safety, proper spinal alignment, and optimal breathing. In the first few months, your child does not have the brain development to be able to roll over from their back to their stomach and then back again. Tummy time is also important for strengthening muscles, preventing positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), and helping to develop the proper cervical (neck) curve in their spine.