The Growing Brain
Research, products, and tools referenced in this module.16 resources available.
3 printable PDFs
Brain development critical and sensitive periods from prenatal through age 5
Targeted activities for each developmental stage
Daily habits that maximize neural connection formation at every age
Huttenlocher & Dabholkar (1997) - Landmark study showing different brain regions follow different developmental timelines for synapse formation
Knickmeyer et al. (2008) - First comprehensive MRI study documenting that total brain volume increases 101% in the first year
Knudsen (2004) - Comprehensive review of how experience shapes brain development during critical windows
Nithianantharajah & Hannan (2006) - Review of how enriched environments change brain structure and function
Deoni et al. (2013) - MRI study showing enhanced myelin development in breastfed children
Belfort et al. (2016) - 7-year longitudinal study linking breast milk to brain volume and IQ in preterm infants
Zeisel (2006) - Review of how perinatal choline supplementation permanently enhances memory
Radlowski & Johnson (2013) - Review of how iron deficiency during critical periods causes lasting brain effects
Komanchuk et al. (2023) - Comprehensive review of serve-and-return interactions and developmental outcomes
Shonkoff et al. (2012) - AAP Technical Report on how toxic stress affects brain development
Kuhl et al. (2006) - Study showing phonemic perception narrows to native language sounds between 6-12 months of age
Purified fish oil supplement for infants providing DHA for brain development
Comprehensive resources on early brain development, toxic stress, and science-based parenting
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