Mock Parenting Workshop: Healthy Baby-Healthy Brain Presentation

This presentation focuses on key aspects of healthy brain development in babies, emphasizing the importance of prenatal nutrition, attachment, and stress management. It highlights the significance of a mother's diet rich in nutrients like folate, vitamin C, iron, and omega-3 fats during pregnancy. Attachment is discussed as a crucial factor, with caregivers encouraged to stay close to their babies and understand their needs to foster a sense of security. The presentation also advocates for breastfeeding for the first two years and encourages parents to introduce healthy foods early on, involving toddlers in meal preparation. Stress is identified as a major deterrent to brain development, with suggestions provided on how to minimize stressful situations for babies. The presentation underscores the role of caregivers in providing love, care, and responsiveness to support optimal brain development.

Running head: HEALTHY BABY- HEALTHY BRAIN
HEALTHY BABY- HEALTHY BRAIN
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1
HEALTHY BABY- HEALTHY BRAIN
A number of aspects every parent needs to keep in mind in order to help the baby develop
a healthy brain. The first initiative begins when the mother is in the prenatal period during her
pregnancy. The kind of food that is taken up by the mother during this period has a huge impact
on brain development of the child. Researchers are of the opinion that food high in nutrients
should be always taken by such mothers. Moreover, they should twice the amount of nutrients
required but that does not necessarily mean taking twice the amount of food that is required.
Some of the important nutrients that are important for the development of the brain of the child is
folate, vitamin C, iron, omega three fats and even iron. Therefore, diet and lifestyle are said by
nutritionist to be very important as they help in the development of the brain of the baby.
Attachment is one of the most important attribute that also helps to have positive impacts
on the brain development of the baby and their perceptions of attachments. Caregivers should
always stay nearby or in close proximity with their babies. Researchers say that when babies do
not find their caregivers nearby, they feel stress and nervous that affects their brain. The parents
should not only stay nearby but in order to develop sense of attachment, the caregivers should try
to understand what makes the babies secure and how they can make their babies secure. This
makes the baby develop the feelings that present care about them and therefore develop positive
perceptions of their immediate world. This starts even before the born of the child. Researchers
suggest mothers to talk, sing with the baby and touch their womb often with an affectionate
feeling. The baby should be hold only in a straight manner and not in sleeping position. They
should be cuddled and interacted with smile and playfulness. This is done to make them feel that
parents are there to respond for them in their upsetting hours.
Nutrition is one of the most important attribute for development of brain. Mothers are
advised to provide breast milk to their children for their babies for the first two years. This is said

2
HEALTHY BABY- HEALTHY BRAIN
so because breast milk comprises of many important antibodies and nutrients that help the brain
to not only develop properly but also keep babies safe from infections. The parents are also
advised not to provide the babies with extremely costly food like expensive vitamins and similar
others. Parents should familiarize babies with the use of healthy food making babies develop the
habit of liking healthy food only and motivating them by being an example herself. Moreover,
researchers are also of the opinion that toddlers should be involved in simple cooking activities
and meal preparation so that they can develop good relationships with healthy foods. Processed
food lack nutrients and should be avoided. Children should be made to participate in fun
activities while preparing foods so that they can understand the foods that are encouraged to it.
Dieticians are of the opinion the babies who eat healthy freshly prepared meal have better brain
development as parents have control over the ingredients of the food like low salt, low fat, low
sugar. Parents should provide importance to babies’ cues when they are full. They should do so
by turning their heads towards other side.
Stress has negative aspect on the brain development of the child. Stress has the potential
to create heart issues and immune system issues in the babies and the children. There is an
important hormone called cortisol that is called the stress hormone that affects the ways by
which brain is wired up. Babies who have stress in the childhood can result in development of
adults who have heart problems. Anger, violence, deprivation and feeling of left alone have
negative effects on babies by creating stress. Violence in home or neighborhood, aggression
among parents, divorces or illnesses among the parents create stress in babies that affects babies’
development. There are many of caregivers who may be under stress may fail to provide love,
care, affection and response in its best form. This might affect effective development of the baby
and the brain. Some of the ways by which stress can be avoided is by taking the baby away from

3
HEALTHY BABY- HEALTHY BRAIN
different stressful situations and finding peaceful ways of solving disagreements among parents
or other family members. The parents should step back and take control of emotions in front of
the baby. All these will prevent any negative effects on the brain of the baby.