Science

There has been a recent explosion of research into how babies think, feel and communicate.

The information reveals how experiences in pregnancy and infancy affect our brains and our emotional wellbeing for the rest of our lives. Scientists have now shown that when a baby feels safe, respected, loved and listened to, there are huge lifelong benefits for them and for the family. Babies have emotional feelings and drives. So do we as adults. Our basic emotional drives are vital for our survival and growth.

You are the architect of your baby's brain. Billions of brain cells are present before birth; but further development of her brain, depend on experiences, particularly her emotional experiences. Your baby needs love and knows your feelings. Your limbic (emotional) brains resonate. Your feelings, and the bond between you, directly affect your baby’s brain development

How we parent our children is more important than the genes we bequeath them at conception. Influences on your baby’s genetic expression begin before birth while he is in the womb. The new science of Epigenetics reveals how gene expression is connected with the environment, and personal experiences: how a baby feels, from conception onwards, influences the function and expression of his genes, for life. The quality of the bond between you and your baby is a huge part of this.

Guiding your baby : your influence

Every event helps your baby to learn and remember. Early learning is ‘implicit’. Implicit memory is held in the brain and wider nervous system, which organises itself and develops patterns of activities according to experience. These patterns will affect behaviour, through life; but the 'memories' behind their formation are outside conscious recall (because the areas of the brain enabling conscious recall in words and pictures take longer to develop). Implicit memories are enduring and powerful. Your baby's experiences will influence behaviour, perception and health through life.

You can make your influence positive, helping your baby:

• To trust herself and others and to feel secure and happy, with high self esteem
• To be able to form loving relationships
• To express her intellectual and creative potential to the full

Your input in your child's early years can make a very positive difference. Science has shown how feeling loved and safe in infancy has many positive effects, and does reduce the risk of anxiety, depression and destructive behaviours in later life.