You surely have noticed that your baby can do many amazing things at such a young age. Babies are full of surprises! Read these interesting facts and solve some of the mysteries that surround your little one!
- If your baby is having trouble sleeping and you take him for a car ride, do you notice that almost magically your little one sleeps? The reason for this is that the vestibular system (in charge of balance and spatial control) tells your baby’s brain that he’s moving. Since your baby can only see the inside of the car, the visual system is sending signals to the brain that he’s standing still. This confusion causes your baby to go to sleep. Even though this method is effective, it is not recommended because your baby probably won’t get deep, restorative sleep.
- Have you asked yourself why your baby makes a scene every time you leave the room even if it’s just for a little while? Or why does Peek-a-boo amuse your baby so much? This happens because your baby doesn’t understand object permanence yet. This means that if something is out of your baby’s sight, he will assume it doesn’t exist. Babies gain the ability to know that something exists, whether it is in their field of vision or not, before they turn one.
- Have you ever wondered how your baby managed to live 9 months underwater? During pregnancy and the first 6 months, humans have the diving reflex, allowing babies to remain underwater longer than an average adult can. When a baby is underwater, they immediately stop breathing while their heart rate decreases by 20%. Also, their glottis (opening that allows air to pass to the lungs) closes, causing water to go to their stomach instead of damaging their lungs.
- Have you asked yourself how many neural synapses your baby has compared to you? On average, newborns have 100 billion neurons, that’s approximately the same number of stars in the Milky Way! The number of neurons remains the same in adults. However, the number of neural connections or synapses is higher when your child is 2-4 years old. The neural network is prepared to learn anything, like languages, playing instruments, and sports. When your kid becomes an adult, the number of synapses reduces to one third of what they were because only the remaining ones were reinforced.
- Have you wondered how your baby recognizes you if his vision hasn’t developed yet? Before your baby is born (at around 7 months of pregnancy), your baby starts hearing your voice, and that’s why they’re able to recognize you since day one! Also, your baby starts recognizing your scent after only 3 days of being born. Not only can your baby recognize your smell, it’s his favorite one!
Want to learn more about your baby? Check out these links: