Comprehensive Report: Child Brain Development & Environmental Impact

This report provides an overview of child brain development from infancy to age three, emphasizing its impact on all aspects of a child's progress. It details four key areas of development: mechanical, language, psychological and social, and intellectual. The report outlines the four cognitive phases: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational development. It then explores the environmental influences on brain development, including stimulants, drugs, toxins, diseases, abuse, neglect, and the importance of love and emotional attachment. The report also highlights barriers to child development such as iron-deficiency anaemia, stunting, and maternal depression. It concludes by stressing the critical role of parents and guardians in creating nurturing environments that promote successful cognitive development. References to support the findings are included in the report.

Brain Development
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OVERVIEW
The brains of children evolve quickly from
infancy to age of three. Progress in the
brain impacts all aspects of progression for
an infant. There are four main regions
of development in a child: mechanical
(physical), language development,
psychological and social, and intellectual.
Development of the brain is a result of
human growth (Hazlett et al., 2017).

development
• Sensorimotor Development: This occurs from birth to 2 years
of age. Throughout this point, kids experience the
surroundings through their sensations and subject interaction
(LearningRx, 2020).
• Preoperational Development: This occurs from 2 years of age
through 7 years. Children improve memory and creativity
during this time. They also are capable of symbolically
interpreting events, and of knowing past and future concepts.
• Concrete Operational Development: This occurs from 7 years
of age through 11 years. Children become more conscious of
outside occurrences during this point, and also emotions than
their own. They become less self-centred and start to realize
that not everyone shares their opinions, values or emotions
(LearningRx, 2020).
• Formal Operational Development: This occurs from 11 years of
age through adulthood. Children will be able to use reasoning
during this period to find solutions to different problems, look
at the world in front of them and plan for the long term.

Environment influencing child development
• Stimulants - Throughout the early years of life when brain continued growth
are at their peak, the brain of a toddler must be continuously triggered
utilizing audio and visual stimulants to activate neuronal changes and
reorganization of neural connections that define cognitive development (BC
Christian Academy, 2016).
• Drugs, toxins, and diseases - Children and their parents who are prone to
factors like caffeine, smoking (tobacco) and narcotics (even before birth) are
at significant risk of poor brain growth, resulting in conditions like speech
loss, poor mental capacity, poor communication skills, low intellect, and
learning difficulties (BC Christian Academy, 2016).
• Abuse and neglect - Because of the intense ignorance and fear in which
the children live, physical abuse, mental abuse and neglect towards them in
their earliest childhood has a damaging effect on their brain growth.
• Love and emotional attachment - Love and psychological support provides a
positive impact by providing children with confidence and security and
enabling them to grow in a positive social atmosphere, and so as an outcome
the brain progresses in a fast, healthy, flexible and dynamic fashion (BC
Christian Academy, 2016).

Barriers to child development
There are some risk factors which can
hinder the brain development and also
physical development of a child which
include iron-deficiency anaemia, ,
stunting, maternal depression, iodine
deficiency, malaria, inadequate cognitive
stimulation, lead exposure, HIV and
intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)
(Ford & Stein, 2016).

CONCLUSION
The world an infant is introduced to during the early
stage has a great impact on how the brain
will develop, which depends on the atmosphere can
be either positive or negative. Parents and guardians
thus have a duty to insure that their children have
access to a nurturing environment that can promote
successful and efficient cognitive development.

REFERENCES
BC Christian Academy. (2016). How Does Environment Affect Brain Development and
Learning in Children?. Retrieved 23 February 2020, from
https://bcchristianacademy.ca/environment-affect-brain-development-learning-children/
Ford, N. D., & Stein, A. D. (2016). Risk factors affecting child cognitive development: a
summary of nutrition, environment, and maternal–child interaction indicators for sub-
Saharan Africa. Journal of developmental origins of health and disease, 7(2), 197-217.
Hazlett, H. C., Gu, H., Munsell, B. C., Kim, S. H., Styner, M., Wolff, J. J., ... & Collins, D.
L. (2017). Early brain development in infants at high risk for autism spectrum
disorder. Nature, 542(7641), 348-351.
LearningRx. (2020). 4 Cognitive Stages For Child Development | LearningRx. Retrieved 23
February 2020, from https://www.learningrx.com/4-cognitive-stages-for-child-development/

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