Did you know that by age five, your child’s brain would have grown to 90% of its adult size?

That’s right. Even before he goes to Standard One, his brain would have completed most of its foundational growth. This means that the child’s brain is growing at supersonic speed the moment he is born and the window of time open to put in all the building blocks for shaping the adult he will become, lies in the first five years of his life.

How Does Your Child’s Brain Grow?

At the time of birth, your baby’s brain is about a quarter the size of his eventual adult brain.

However it already contains all the brain cells or neurons he will ever have in his life time, which numbers around 100 billion[1]. Although he has all these neurons, they are merely the raw materials needed for brain building, and the brain is not yet fully developed when he is born. For instance, he is unable to think for himself at this time and has little control over his body although he is equipped with some rudimentary survival skills such as breathing, seeing, hearing, sucking, sleeping, crying and making noises with his vocal chords.

At this time, he may look quite helpless but the brain is already beginning to work when it starts making neural connections or “circuitry” called synapses. With each experience or stimulus the child receives ─ whether he is looking at his mother’s face, recognising her smell, being touched or held or even crying at unpleasant sensations ─ the brain starts firing synapses between these neurons to link up his internal circuitry. It is these synapses that later enable the child to remember, communicate, think and so on.

At birth, the number of synapses made per neuron is around 2,500 but by age two or three, when the brain has grown to 80% of its adult size, it makes about 15,000 synapses per neuron. This means by age three, when he has begun running, playing, eating by himself, counting, talking, asking questions and being curious about the world around him ─ the brain would be processing close to 1000 trillion[2] synapses between neurons every second. This is how fast the brain is developing.

Use it or Lose it

In fact, the period from birth to age three is the fastest rate the brain will ever grow in his entire lifetime. During this time, all impressions, sensations and interactions that he experiences affect the development of his brain architecture. Synapses that are not formed early in life cannot really be formed later in life.

Moreover, as the child grows, the brain will get rid of the weaker synaptic connections in a process called synaptic pruning[3]. In other words, the brain will eliminate the connections that are seldom or never used.

An example of this is physical touch, or the lack thereof. It has been found that physical touch and acts of bonding and positive interaction strengthen babies’ synapses and produce greater overall well-being. In turn, these feelings of well-being lead to a better adjusted individual when the child grows up. Conversely, babies deprived of touch or who are neglected or institutionalised during their growing years fail to thrive and suffer negative health consequences such as stunting and delayed[4] physical and cognitive growth and emotional disorders like anxiety and depression.

This is why the bedrock of a resulting individual later in life is laid down by experiences and interactions in the earliest years of his childhood. The human body is after all, a complex circuit of interconnections that all begins at the central command centre ─ the brain.

Ways to Boost Your Child’s Brain Power

Every parent wants his or her child to be intelligent and to do well in school. But brain power is not just about doing well academically. A child’s mental fortitude is not measured by how many as he can get but whether or not he develops the wherewithal to be able to handle all the other challenges in life. Brain power, therefore, also includes focus, concentration, memory, emotional stability, mental agility, critical thinking and problem solving skills, self-control and self-discipline.

Self-discipline has been said to be a more accurate predictor of success than IQ, one research[5] says because it promotes behaviours in children that can give long term benefits. It helps them develop good habits, refrain from bad ones and act with maturity and toughness. As a parent, you want all of this for your child so that he reaches his fullest potential and achieves long lasting success.

Here are four ways to help your child maximise his brain power:

1: Prioritise Sleep

Sleep[6] is when our body’s cells repair themselves. Scientists have discovered that broken DNA builds up in brain cells in the daytime and repair work reverses the damage only during sleep. Ensure your child gets at least eight hours of sleep per night. Not only will he be more alert and ready to learn, he will also be happy and better focused.

2: Exercise the Brain

As has been said earlier, the critical time for brain growth is between the ages of zero to five. This is the time to teach your child. The best learning for a young child comes through play. Age-appropriate games like ring stackers, building blocks, puzzles, and board games stimulate the mind and enhance problem solving skills. Even reading, vocabulary and counting skills can be turned into fun games. Always encourage curiosity so that he wants to learn about his world.

3: Exercise the Body

Physical activity stimulates the senses and improves motor skills. Catch a ball, play a sport, ride a bike, take a walk, swim, or do anything that involves movement and coordination. A recent study[7] shows that physical activity refreshes the mind and boosts learning ability, proving why fit children do better in school.

4: Provide Good Nutrition

Nutrition[8] plays a big role in supplying the brain with the food it needs to grow tissues and support synapses and myelination (the wrapping of the neuron’s axons or “transmission cable” in fatty cells). Foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals can help children boost mental performance especially in areas of focus, concentration and memory.

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Foods to Make Your Child Smarter

While it has been said that mental development is more determined by a child’s experience and interaction, the role of nutrition on brain growth cannot be underestimated. If you’re looking at giving your child a head start in life, here are the top Brain Boosting Foods to feed your toddler with:

A: Colourful Vegetables

Colourful vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, dark leafy greens like spinach and lettuces, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages are rich in iron, folate, Vitamins B6, B12, C, E and K, and antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and carotenoids. All of these nutrients improve cognitive power and brain power.

B: Whole Grain

Brown rice, oats, wheat germ, barley are all great sources of Vitamins E, B complex, folate and zinc which increase blood flow the brain and develop cognitive and memory skills. Whole grains are also a great supply of glucose, the “fuel” needed to give energy for the brain.

C: Eggs

Eggs are well known as a great source of protein. As an added bonus, they contain choline which helps memory development.

D: Blueberries and all other Berries

There is a reason why blueberries are called brain food. The key to their brain boosting power lies in their high levels of antioxidants. Anthocyanins support healthy stress tolerance and anti-inflammation throughout the body and especially the brain. They also improve memory and attention and protect the brain cells from damage. Additionally, blueberries contain Vitamin C, K, folate, manganese and potassium which help stimulate the production of neurotransmitters.

E: Oily Fish

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for brain development and health because they are necessary components of the cell’s building blocks. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as Wild Salmon, Mackerel, Fresh Tuna, Trout, Sardines and Herring. Fish is also a good source of protein.

F: Dairy

Milk[9] is an essential brain food as it is packed with protein and carbohydrates. It is the preferred source of energy for the brain. While it energises the brain, it also helps calm nerves and maintains a proper sleep cycle for the growing child. Milk as well as other dairy produce like yoghurt and cheese are packed with B vitamins these are necessary for the growth of brain tissue, neurotransmitters and enzymes. Dairy foods are also high in calcium which promote strong teeth and bones.

Boost Your Child’s Brain Power with AA and DHA in Morinaga Chil-kid

Of all the brain boosting foods we have seen so far, the one that combines all the goodness of milk with all the necessary nutrients for optimal brain growth is Morinaga Chil-kid ─ specially formulated for children aged 1 to 7.

Morinaga Chil-kid contains AA, DHA, GOS, Nucleotides, Folic Acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Taurine, Calcium, Iron, Zinc and Selenium.

The Importance of AA and DHA in Formula Milk

The human brain is composed of 60% fat[10] and 40% water, protein, carbohydrates and salts. Its fatty acids are among the most crucial molecules that determine the brain’s integrity and ability to perform.

It has long been established that polyunsaturated fats are essential for brain development, especially during early childhood. The Arachidonic Acid (AA) also known as ARA and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) found in Morinaga Chil-kid are added in perfect combination to promote brain growth.

Arachidonic Acid (AA) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid while Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid. Both resemble the primary fatty acids found in the brain.

The Role of AA

AA serves as a precursor to leukotrienes, prostaglandins and thromboxanes collectively known as eicosanoids which are important for immunity and immune response. In fact, writes the research paper titled The Essentiality of Arachidonic Acid in Infant Development[11], there is strong evidence based on animal and human studies that AA is critical for infant growth, brain development and health.

The Role of DHA

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the brain, cerebral cortex (outermost layer of the brain associated with the highest mental capabilities), skin, and retina (eye). DHA is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain and nervous system in infants (and also for the normal brain and nerve functioning of adults).

Both DHA and AA are present in breast milk. When a child is breastfeeding, he is receiving his requirement of AA and DHA through breast milk. However, after he starts weaning and during the early years of his childhood, the amount of ARA and DHA provided by solid foods is low, especially if the child happens to be finicky about what he wants to eat or is allergic to certain foods. Without the provision of AA and DHA in sufficient amounts, the child cannot maintain his brain and nervous system needs to support his developmental demands.

Most children would have moved on from breastmilk to formula milk by the time he is one to two years old. This is why ARA and DHA are included in formula supplementation such as Morinaga Chil-kid.

A research conducted by a team of 19 experts from 11 countries concluded that Infant Formula must contain DHA omega-3 and AA omega-6[12] as both fatty acids, formulated in a balanced ratio, are critical for infant brain, nervous system and eye development.

The key word here is ‘Balanced’. One cannot do without the other, and neither should one exceed the other. In fact, several studies have found that too much DHA may suppress the benefits provided by AA.

In Morinaga Chil-kid, ARA and DHA are carefully formulated in a balanced ratio to ensure your child receives the right amount of these two brain nutrients: DHA to support his brain and cognitive development, learning and problem solving abilities, attention span, visual development, and ARA to also support a healthy immune system, bone formation, blood flow and blood vessel function.

As has been explained right at the beginning, your child’s brain would have developed to 90% of its adult size by the time he is five years old. For more information on Morinaga Chil-kid and how it helps boost your child’s brain power, click here to read more.

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