What’s Going on in There?

How does a baby become a thinking, feeling, and learning human being? This book dives into the magical transformation that starts even before birth.

1. Nature and Nurture Shape Development Together

Human development starts with genetic programming, but life experiences steer it further. Just 18 weeks after conception, a fetus's brain begins to form. Key functions like heart rate control emerge first, followed later by more complex abilities like memory and imagination.

After birth, a surge of neuronal connections makes a baby’s brain uniquely adaptable. During their early years, children’s neurons form double the number of connections they’ll need later. This amazing capacity, however, depends on stimulation. Without it, unused neurons "prune" away, which can hinder development.

René Spitz's 1940s research illustrated this. Babies raised by their mothers in prison—despite the challenging environment—thrived better than those in a nursery lacking consistent human touch and play. The nurtured group learned to walk and talk; the deprived group fell behind developmentally.

Examples

• Genes direct fetal brain formation like a template.
• Children raised in stimulating environments build strong neuronal connections.
• Those deprived of touch or care may suffer cognitive delays.

2. Pregnancy Influences Lifelong Health

Pregnancy isn't just about physical growth; it profoundly affects future mental and emotional well-being. Substances like alcohol during pregnancy can lead to mental retardation, while aspirin can cause internal bleeding. Even factors as subtle as stress during pregnancy impact newborns.

Natural birth further shapes a baby’s start. Stress hormones released during delivery prepare babies to adjust to their new world. But complications during birth, such as oxygen deprivation, can lead to conditions like cerebral palsy or delayed motor skills.

This highlights the importance of care from conception to childbirth. Every maternal decision, from diet to managing stress, influences a child’s health trajectory after birth.

Examples

• Alcohol in pregnancy can disrupt normal brain growth.
• Vaginal births prepare babies with helpful stress hormone responses.
• Premature births caused by stress may lead to developmental challenges.

3. Touch Builds Brain and Behavior

Babies thrive on touch—it’s more than just soothing; it’s essential. Infants who receive regular massages grow faster and perform better in mental recognition tests. Touch stimulates their brains, especially areas needed for physical coordination and emotional connection.

In contrast, lack of sensory input can cause permanent changes in the brain. Research on mice found sensory-deprived brain areas were overtaken by neighboring neurons, preventing recovery later, even when stimulation resumed. Children’s impressions and habits about touch, safety, or social cues form early through consistent interactions.

A great example is French child Victor, who grew up in isolation. Without learning from shared experiences like hot cooking, he unknowingly burned his hands pulling potatoes from fire.

Examples

• Pre-term infants given massages gained weight and learned faster.
• Children deprived of touch may shrink key brain connections.
• Victor’s story shows how sensory knowledge ties to safety lessons.

4. Smell and Taste Kick in Early

A baby’s sense of smell begins in the womb, and taste forms shortly after. These senses guide newborns toward survival and comfort. For instance, infants recognize their mother’s scent and use it for comfort, often bringing their hands (smelling like their amniotic fluid) to their mouths.

Studies show how early babies test their taste buds. Saccharine dropped into amniotic fluid caused fetuses to swallow more eagerly, suggesting a liking for sweetness. This preference extends after birth, as babies enjoy sweeter breast milk when mothers eat garlic or vanilla.

Babies instinctively avoid what’s bitter or sour, equating these tastes with danger. However, their enjoyment of variety (such as flavored milk through maternal diet) strengthens their curiosity about new foods later on.

Examples

• Babies orient toward their mother’s scent from birth.
• Sweetened amniotic fluid increased fetal ingestion in studies.
• Garlic-flavored breast milk made four-month-olds drink heartily.

5. Hearing Develops Before Vision

Babies rely more on hearing than sight when born. While fetuses can already "listen" and remember repeated speech or sounds from the womb, their eyes take longer to adjust to their new world.

For example, newborn hearing studies revealed they enjoyed The Cat in the Hat more when their mothers read it during pregnancy. Hearing is fully functional at birth, while sight focuses only on nearby shapes to prevent overstimulation. Over time, vision becomes sharper, with a full perception of depth and color emerging around one year.

Visual environment also rewires young brains. Infants raised in uniquely angled structures—like tipis—excel in recognizing diagonal shapes, while those in rectangular homes identify straight lines better.

Examples

• Fetuses recall womb sounds, like stories mothers read often.
• Newborns see only broad nearby shapes for simplicity.
• Babies raised in teepees visually adapt to those angles better.

6. Motion and Reflexes Teach Coordination

Babies respond remarkably to movement, both as a source of comfort and skill development. This is why rocking a baby or taking them outdoors in strollers calms them—it mirrors prenatal movements they experienced.

Early reflexes also play a survival role. For example, the Moro reflex—stretching arms when startled—helped ancestral infants grip mothers suddenly on the move. These reflexes later evolve into purposeful actions like grasping toys or learning to crawl.

Motor skills require practice from the start. Babies might throw “boxing punches” to train coordination, preparing them to reach objects intentionally over time. Walking, another big milestone, is preceded by simple "practice motions" like treading feet when held upright.

Examples

• Rocking echoes the mother's womb, calming agitated infants.
• Reflexes like grasping rehearse later deliberate actions.
• Babies “step” instinctively when held with feet touching surfaces.

7. Personality Is Part Genes, Part Experience

Shyness or confidence often begins in our DNA but isn't set in stone. Around 15 percent of infants are born predisposed to be shy, showing heightened stress reactions like pupil dilation. But parents can help by gradually teaching comfort in new social situations.

Human interaction also shapes personality. For example, babies deprived of smiling or playful engagement—often from parents suffering depression—tend to develop melancholic temperaments.

Social smiling, which begins universally at six months, is a stepping stone for personality. However, stranger anxiety occurring around this age reflects an innate caution as babies start moving away from parents.

Examples

• Studies show shyness genes cause high alertness or anxiety.
• Gently introducing new faces builds confident children.
• Social smiling, even in blind babies, starts automatically by six months.

8. Young Brains Learn Language Naturally

Infants are efficient language learners, starting to identify words as early as nine months and accelerating their vocabulary growth at two years old. They may struggle with irregular verbs (saying “comed” instead of “came”), but this is part of normal development.

However, language exposure is vital. Studies indicate toddlers from wealthier backgrounds, hearing more than 2,000 words per hour, develop larger vocabularies compared to children in lower-exposure homes. Language input directly correlates with conversational skill.

Correcting a child too often backfires, as it dampens their excitement for learning. Instead, praising efforts and allowing self-correction over time fosters both fluency and confidence.

Examples

• By age six, kids learn around eight new words daily.
• Early word input differences lead to long-term language gaps.
• Avoid scolding grammar errors; kids align rules naturally.

9. Play and Exploration Support Intelligence

Children need stimulating play to grow mentally, but strict demands—like forcing academics too early—can backfire. Creativity best thrives when discovery feels fun. Interactive activities, from building blocks to music, allow better emotional and mental skills.

For example, musical instrument training strengthens spatial awareness, timing, and motor coordination simultaneously. Preschool studies prove that playful homes provide benefits like higher IQ and stronger reasoning skills in later life.

Not measuring intelligence solely by IQ ensures diverse talents are respected. Developmental benchmarks, such as grasping complex shapes or logical differences by ages four to six, act as more holistic guides for progress.

Examples

• Unstructured games help brain mapping better than rote lessons.
• Kids in early educational programs outscore those left unstimulated.
• Instruments teach rhythm alongside multiple mental faculties.

Takeaways

1. Share language-rich time with your child daily—exposure multiplies vocabulary.
2. Create playful learning routines instead of pressuring academic drills.
3. Rotate toys or play items among friends rather than overloading purchases.