What 8 things help develop optimum intelligence in your baby?
(What's next in our discussion of a good foundation from the last two weeks?http://thegodfreymethod.com/blog/catching-humpty-dumpty-good-foundation)
- Breastfeeding,
- Holding your baby often,
- Reading to baby often,
- Limiting baby’s exposure to TV,
- Limiting radio, and
- Constant noise,
- Giving baby some quiet time.
- It is also important for baby’s eye development to have some dark time at night without a night light.
But first, the feeding:
Breast-feeding and Nutrition
. Hurrah for breast feeding! September is Breast Feeding Month, which honors this amazing phenomenon. My mother breastfed all eight of her children. I have 14 children including three step- and 4 adopted- children. I was able to breastfeed all seven of my natural children plus my son adopted at birth. The last three were breastfed while I was a working mom and had to pump breast milk during breaks. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.
If mothers want to raise smart children, then they should from the very beginning with breastfeeding. Fathers should support the mothers in this very important part of optimizing their child’s mind.
The website http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_iq.html says, “...there is a demonstrated direct relation between a child's intelligence and cognitive ability and how long that child was breastfed. Some studies show an increase in intelligence for each additional month the child was breastfed.
Could you give your child a more important gift than a better brain and healthier body? The findings are hardly surprising when we consider that the brain is only 1/3 formed at birth, and that breast milk has been [designed] to complete building the brain during the first two years of life.”
Even after the differences in socioeconomic status were accounted for or eliminated in these studies, breastfed children still clearly come out ahead. This even holds true for preemies. On http://www.intelligencetest.com/articles/article10.htm it reads, “In fact, one study showed that premature infants who were breastfed had significantly higher IQs than formula fed babies, and when babies were fed a combination of breast milk and formula, their cognitive scores were directly related to the amount of mother's milk they received.
Breast milk contains the ideal ratio of fats, amino acids and other nutrients that the baby needs for brain and nervous system development. These ingredients provide the ideal basis for the ‘hard-wiring’ component of a person's intelligence.”
Also, http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-breastfeeding-benefits-you-and-your-baby_8910.bc writes, “Several studies have found a possible connection between breastfeeding and higher IQs. Babies breastfed for six months or more seem to have the most advantage. Experts say that the emotional bonding that takes place during breastfeeding probably contributes to some of the increase, but that the fatty acids [DHA and also Taurine - amino acid] in breast milk may play the biggest role in a baby's brain development.”
Infant formulas are now trying to add Taurine and DHA, but they don’t compare to fresh ingredients in breast milk (I guess they’re better than nothing- if bottle feeding is necessary). I liked to breast-feed for at least one year when I was an at-home mom, but could only pump for six months at work as a working mom. Then my milk dwindled. Your experience might be better. At least I was able to give my last three babies 6 months worth of the best nutrition, as well as nurse them when I arrived home.
Did you know that the thyroid of bottle-fed babies can be up to 20 times smaller than that of breast-fed babies? A smaller thyroid severely decreases the immune system. And if you must bottle-feed your baby, hold her while feeding. Resist the temptation to prop the bottle with a blanket or let her hold it herself. Whatever you need to get done is not as important as holding your baby. Such bonding develops her mental, emotional, and social growth to their fullest.
What are the other benefits for baby and mother from breastfeeding? The site lists several unexpected pluses:
“The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. And scientific studies have shown that breastfeeding is good for your [mom’s] health, too.
- Breastfeeding protects your baby from gastrointestinal trouble, respiratory problems, and ear infections.
- Breastfeeding can protect your baby from developing allergies.
- Breastfeeding may boost your child's intelligence.
- Breastfeeding may protect your baby against obesity later in life.
- Breastfeeding may protect your baby from childhood leukemia.
- Breastfeeding may protect your baby from developing type-1 diabetes.
- Breastfeeding may protect preemies from infections and high blood pressure later in life.
- Breastfeeding may lower your baby's risk of SIDS.
- Breastfeeding helps you [mom] lose weight.
- Breastfeeding can lower your stress levels and reduce postpartum bleeding.
- Breastfeeding may reduce your risk of some types of cancer.
- Breastfeeding may protect you against osteoporosis later in life."
Wow. I am so grateful that my mother breastfed all her children and gave such a good example, which was learned and passed on to the next two generations, so far. For help with breastfeeding issues and questions, the La Leche League USA is the best source. All the chapters and contacts can be found at this website: http://www.lllusa.org
“The ideals and principles of mothering, which are the foundation of LLLI beliefs, are further developed in THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING, the most comprehensive handbook on breastfeeding and parenting ever published. It has provided needed answers to three generations of nursing mothers on every aspect of breastfeeding. (From LLLI publication No. 300-17, "La Leche League Purpose and Philosophy.")
It's the Law of Eventuality: thousands and thousands of times, nothing, then wham! It gets you. Too often we hope the exceptions are the rule, but usually they're not. Nutrition is a very important building block to utilize, even when the adverse affects of some foods are not obvious until it's too late.
To protect your child against the time-bomb of bad nutrition, follow these guidelines:
· No caffeine or caffeinated soda pops,
· No fake sugars, except stevia extract,
· No diet soda pops,
· Limited sweets,
· Limited fast foods,
· Plenty of protein,
· Fresh fruits and veggies,
· Vitamin and mineral supplements,
· Whole grains,
· Dairy foods, and
· Plenty of water, but not excessive.
Unless your child is specifically allergic to lactose in dairy or gluten in wheat, don't worry about these foods. Those are rare allergies, and the benefits of nutrition from these foods far outweigh the minimal risks. You can have too little water and you can have too much water. Be reasonable.
Good nutrition is important for infants and children. Enough protein in the first 18 months is critical. Children who don’t get enough protein for brain development in the first 18 months of life are unable to make up for it later. The damage is permanent. However, children who get enough protein in the first 18 months have developed enough that their brains can recover if they suffer from malnutrition and protein deficiency later.
When children transition from breast milk (or formula) to solid food, good nutrition means eating a varied and well-balanced selection of the four food groups (proteins, grains, fruits and veggies, and dairy) in as near their natural state as able. The less processed, the better. Have fresh fruit and veggies in the house. Adding vitamin and mineral supplements are a good idea, but shouldn’t replace fresh fruits and veggies in your child’s diet.
Keep sweets to a minimum. Everyone needs a treat now and then, but too much sugar lowers a person’s immune system. This includes limiting juice to once a day and serving water throughout. Sodas should be saved for special occasions like birthday parties, and should never be caffeinated. Keep kids away from fake sugars and diet drinks, too. The only healthy sugar-replacement is extracted from the stevia leaf of South America.
There are books and books written about nutrition, so I’m going to stop with these simple guidelines. Do your best. I know it’s a fight when the kids always want fast food and candy, but reserve those for certain occasions and not every day. You can do it!
As I mentioned in the previous article, without these preventatives, the cracks in your child may be malnutrition and stunted growth, a weakened immune system, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), lower IQ, slower learning capacity, poor decision-making skills, and/or physical health issues. You are the key. It’s not rocket surgery!
http://thegodfreymethod.com/blog/good-foundation-8-ways-help-develop-your-babys-brain
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