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 small child, movement
Experiences may be more important to babies than to
children of any other age group. And it’s not just about
motor development either.
Thanks to new insights in brain research, we now know that
The first experiences of movement are considered essential for the
Neural stimulation (the “use it or lose it” principle
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. They 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 the ones that really
determine the final design of the brain and nature and
extent of that child’s adult capabilities.
Turns out a baby’s brain is full of 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 the
first three years of life that most of these connections are
done. Synapses that are not used often enough are removed. Have
On the other hand, those synapses that have been activated by
repeated early experiences tend to become permanent. And it is
It seems that physical activity and play during the first
Childhood plays a vital role in the sensory and physiological system.
stimulation resulting in more synapses.
Neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford, in her excellent book,
Smart Moves: Why Learning Isn’t All In Your Head, Says:
“Physical movement, from early childhood and throughout our
lives, plays an important role in the creation of nerve cells
networks that are really the essence of learning “.
Then he 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 practice and because
repetition sets patterns in the brain. Despite this
It has not been clearly determined that movements as early as
kicking, flapping the arms, and rocking on the hands and knees are
“practice” for more advanced posterior motor skills, is
believed 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 perform later
more complex voluntary actions.
Then, once the child is taking voluntary actions (for
example, roll over, 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 increasing neuronal
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
learn to happen: learn to move and move to learn.
Still, recent evidence indicates that babies are spending
more than 60 waking hours a week on things: high chairs,
baby carriers, car seats and the like!
The reasons for this trend are varied. Part of the problem
is that more and more babies are placed in nurseries
centers, where there may not be enough space to let babies
roam the ground. Or, given the number of babies enrolled,
there may be few opportunities for caregivers to spend
alone time with each baby. This means, in the morning,
an infant is typically fed, clothed, and then carried to
car, where it is placed in a car seat. She is then
taken to kindergarten, where she can spend a lot
of his time in a crib or playpen. At the end of the day,
She picks her up, puts her back in the car seat, and carries her
back to the house, where he feeds her, bathes and puts 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 drop to the ground and
crawl with a child? Furthermore, with today’s emphasis on
being productive, playing with a baby would seem almost 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 puts it:
“container”) affects the personality of a baby; need for
be retained. 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 babies’
Opportunities to move are the inclination to restrict
instead of encouraging, freedom of movement and mistakes
belief that early academic instruction will result in
super babies. (In 1999, 770,000 copies of children’s software –
“lapware” – they were sold!)
Humans are meant to move and play. The tilt – the
need – is built into them. Babies, in fact, spend almost
half of their waking time (40%) doing things like kicking,
bouncing and waving his arms. And while it may seem like everything
this activity is only to move, it is important
realizing that a baby is never “moving” or “just playing.”
Each action extends the development of the child in some way.