Besides the fact that they were built to do so, there is a
many reasons why babies need to move. The truth is,
even though his movement capabilities are extremely
limited compared to even those of a young child, movement
experiences may be more important to babies than to
children of any other age group. And it’s not just about
Neither does motor development.
Thanks to new insights in brain research, we now know that
The first experiences of movement are considered essential for the
neural stimulation (the principle of “use it or lose it”
involved in the maintenance or pruning of brain cells) necessary
for healthy brain development.
Not long ago, neuroscientists believed that the structure of
a human brain was genetically determined at birth. them now
realize that although the main “circuits” are “pre-wired”
(for functions such as breathing and heartbeat), the
experiences that fill the days of each child are what actually
determine the final design of the brain and the nature and
extent of that child’s adult capabilities.
Turns out a baby’s brain is packed with brains
cells (neurons) at birth. (In fact, a one-pound fetus
already has 100 billion of them!) Over time, each of these
brain cells can form up to 15,000 connections
(synapse) with other brain cells. And it is during
first three years of life that most of these connections are
done. Synapses that are not used often enough are eliminated. About him
other hand, those synapses that have been activated by
repeated early experiences tend to become permanent. cast
It seems that physical activity and play during the first
infancy play a vital role in sensory and physiological development
stimulation resulting in more synapses.
Neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford, in her excellent book,
Smart Moves: Why Learning Isn’t All in Your Head, states:
“Physical movement, from earliest childhood and throughout our
lives, plays an important role in the creation of nerve cells
networks that are actually the essence of learning.
He then goes on to relate how the movement, because
activates neural wiring throughout the body, causes the
the whole body – not just the brain – the instrument of
learning.
Gross and fine motor skills are learned through repetition.
also, both by virtue of being practiced and because
repetition establishes patterns in the brain. Despite this
It has not been clearly determined that movements as early as
kicking, waving arms, and rocking on hands and knees are
“practice” for later more advanced motor skills, is
believes that they are in fact part of a process of
neurological maturation necessary for motor control
skills. In other words, these spontaneous actions prepare
the child – physically and neurologically – to then perform
more complex voluntary actions.
Then, once the child is performing voluntary actions (for
example, roll, crawl and walk), the circle
is completed, as these abilities provide glucose (the
brain’s main source of energy) and blood flow (“food”) to
the brain, in all probability the increase in neurons
connections
According to Rebecca Anne Bailey and Elsie Carter Burton,
authors of The Dynamic Self: Activities to Enhance Infant
development, whenever babies move any part of their body,
there is the potential for two different types of
learning to happen: learning to move and moving to learn.
Still, recent evidence indicates that babies spend
more than 60 waking hours a week in things – high chairs,
roof racks, car seats, and the like!
The reasons for this trend are varied. part of the problem
is that more and more babies are being placed in nurseries
centers, where there may not be enough space for babies to
room the floor However, given the number of children enrolled,
there may be few opportunities for caregivers to spend
one-on-one time with each baby. This means that, in the morning,
she normally feeds, dresses, and then takes a baby to the
car, where he is placed in a car seat. she is then
taken to the nursery, where she can spend a lot of time
of their time in a crib or playpen. At the end of the day,
they pick her up, put her back in the car seat and take her
back to the house, where they feed her, bathe her and put her to
bed.
Even when parents are at home with the baby, they seem to be busier
than ever these days. Who has time to get down and
crawl with a child? Furthermore, with the current emphasis on
being productive, playing with a baby would seem almost like a
guilty pleasure! And if the baby seems happy and secure in a
seat conveniently placed in front of the TV, in a hammock
hanging on a door, or strolling in a walker, then
What is the damage? It’s a win/win situation, right?
In fact it’s not. Being confined (as a colleague says:
“in containers”) affects a baby’s personality; need for
be sustained. It can also have serious consequences for the
motor and cognitive development of the child.
Other trends in today’s society that have an impact on
opportunities to move are the inclination to restrict,
Instead of fostering, freedom of movement and the strays
belief that early academic instruction will result in
superbabies (In 1999, 770,000 copies of children’s software –
“lapware” – they were sold!)
Human beings are made to move and play. The tilt – the
they need – is built into them. Babies, in fact, spend almost
half of his waking time – 40% – doing things like kicking,
jumping and waving their arms. And while everything may seem
this activity is just for moving, it is important
realizing that a baby never “just moves” or “just plays.”
Every action prolongs the child’s development in some way.