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Brain size: At birth, the brain is about 25% of its adult size
Neutral Connections: Right away, the brain starts making a ton of synapses, especially in areas that handle basic sensory information
Milestones: Newborns mainly rely on reflexes and start recognizing familiar faces. -
Synaptogenesis: There’s a burst of new connections in the visual cortex, helping babies process what they see.
Milestones: Babies start focusing on objects better and will smile socially. -
Myelination: Myelin starts to form around neurons, making signals in the brain travel faster.
Milestones: Babies begin to sit up and start babbling, showing early communication skills. -
Pruning: The brain starts pruning away unused synapses to refine the neural network.
Milestones: By now, babies can crawl, understand simple words, and develop object permanence (realizing objects exist even when they can’t see them). -
Language centers: Broca’s area, which helps with speech, goes through rapid development.
Milestones: Vocabulary takes off, and babies start walking and saying basic sentences. -
Brain size: The brain has grown to about 80% of its adult size.
Higher cognitive functions: The prefrontal cortex is developing, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Milestones: Toddlers are more independent, engage in pretend play, and show more complex emotions.