Reviewing the content from the website www.babycenter.com I seemed to have found it very informational. This website has everything a parent or expecting parent needs to know from the pregnancy all the way up to when the child is nine years old. Looking into the section of Baby Development all the information ties in with the chapters we are discussing in class.
To being with the human brain is made up of six different areas: Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Occipital Lobe, Temporal Lobe, Cerebellum, and the Brainstem. These specific areas all have different functions are responsible for things such as controlling emotion, logic, language, memory, behavior and motor skills. During the first three years of a child’s life researchers have found that the development of the brain is very critical during this time. This is where the foundations are built for what comes later on in life. While genes play a vital role in the development of the brain, the growth of these six areas can be potentially stronger or weaker depending on the experiences that your child goes though during the critical part of infancy through the toddler stage.
As I searched through the site, I quickly realized that all the developmental milestones that a baby will undergo in life will happen within these six areas of the brain while these areas continue to condition and grow. Looking at the Frontal Lobe which is located behind the forehead, it’s shown that this area of development beings to show when the baby is around 6 months. This area of the brain is responsible for the behaviors such as talking, problem solving, and some aspects of emotions. One great milestone that happens in a baby’s life due to the function of the Frontal Lobe is talking. Even before a baby learns to talk they will babble words out, and maybe even say mama or dada during infancy. Following the Frontal Lobe there is the Parietal Lobe, which is located at the crown of the head. This area controls the taste, touch, ability to recognize objects and hand-eye coordination are very important functions. In infancy the ability to taste breast milk or baby formula is important since they aren’t subjected to any other tastes. A major milestone that happens in this area of the brain is “sight” the ability for the baby to see. From the moment the baby was out of the womb he/she had sight. But studies show that it isn’t crystal clear, mainly fuzzy. During the first month of infancy the baby will be able to follow a rattle using their eyes. Moving on to the Cerebellum, this area of the brain is responsible for balance and muscle coordination, controlling the sensory motors that help the baby move around. So whether the baby is crawling or walking it is all possible by the functions of the Cerebellum. A significant milestone other than crawling and walking that happens in this area of the brain would be “head control”