Born That Way?

Are babies born clever, or is their future really in our hands? We take a look at that old debate of nature versus nurture.

- Kate Sidley

When my first baby was about7 weeks old, I read an article saying that the first six weeks are the most important ones of your baby’s life. My hormone-addled, sleep-deprived brain gained the impression that these early weeks provide a unique window of opportunity, laying the basis for the child’s intellectual and emotional development. My baby and I had spent the first six weeks breastfeeding and sleeping and crying (yes, both of us!), so naturally I was devastated to discover that I’d already failed my daughter so miserably. Thanks to my hopeless ignorance, she would never reach her full intellectual potential.

Of course, it is utter nonsense. The first years of a child’s life are very important to future development. In the first two years, many of the foundations are put in place for language, mathematics and literacy. It’s also true that parental input in early childhood can have an immensely positive effect on a child’s intellectual development.

In the first years of life, the human brain grows in size, connections and content. Tremendous intellectual development takes place between the ages of 0 and 2 years. Your baby comes into the world primed to learn, ready to process information and gain understanding and language. She is constantly learning, even when she seems to be just fiddling with her rattle or gazing at your face. Her knowledge of the world is built on sensory experiences, what she sees, hears and feels. The connections in her brain are strengthened all along.

Researching this topic, I found a slew of claims about what boosts intelligence and what can hamper your child’s chances. Apparently it starts before birth!