Advanced NCS Flashcards
Approximately, how many brain cells does a baby have at birth and how much of an increase is there in the first month of life?
~ 1 billion and it increases 20 fold in the first month of life.
How many lines of communication (synapsis) are there at 4 weeks of age?
Over 1 trillion
What does promoting optimal brain development look and not look like?
It is having loving care by a consistent caregiver, having proper sleep and nutrition, as well as, proper interaction and engagement at appropriate times.
It is not things such as beginning to teach your infant a foreign language or having them watch educational videos.
What is so great about promoting optimal brain development?
Promoting optimal brain development sets baby up to have their best possible life. Strong connections are made in the brain early on that help baby to develop healthy coping strategies, communication skills, feelings of attachment and security, and more.
Why do we want mimic the womb, especially during the first three months?
Mimicking the wombs helps baby feel safe and secure which promotes optimal brain development.
How do we mimic the womb?
- swaddling
- white noise
- movement (swaying, rocking, bouncing, etc)
- a dark room.
How do we promote optimal brain development?
- mimicking the womb
- providing the best possible nutrition
- Maintaining body temp (esp. in preemies)
- providing consistent comfort
- movement
- ensuring baby feels safe and secure (responds to cries for example)
As caregivers, how can we help promote optimal brain development? The 5 “S’s”
- swaddle
- sway
- shush
- side hold
- suck
What are the 5 truths we know about infant brain development?
- Intelligence is both genetic and able to be influenced.
- Most major organs are fully developed in miniature at birth except the brain.
- Our brains are born unfinished for a reason.
- Early development matters.
- The overall pattern matters more than each small decision.
Is intelligence fixed at birth?
No, but for a long time it was believed to be. Intelligence is both genetic and able to be influenced. It is not fixed at birth. Environmental factors affect a child’s intelligence and future generations as these experiences alter an infant’s genes which they can pass onto their children.
Can a pregnant person’s stress affect baby’s development?
Yes, if a pregnant person experiences prolonged stress or a traumatic event it can alter the baby’s gene development and activate negative traits (example, aggression) that they are predisposed to. Once these traits have been genetically activated they will be passed down to the next generation.
How does an infants early experiences affect their genes?
Consistent early experiences turn on or protect against genetic traits that baby is predisposed to. Good bonding, especially early on, has a great impact on whether an infant will develop negative behaviors such as aggression, hyperactivity, and compulsivity.
What one part of the body is the same size at birth and death?
The cornea
How big is the brain at birth?
1/4 it’s full adult size.
When do brain cells (neurons) develop?
An infant’s neurons are formed before birth but they do not develop completely until after birth.
What are synapses and when do they develop? What determines their development?
Synapses are connections between neurons and they are formed mostly after birth. They form in response to their environment.
What are axons?
Axons are neurons that send information.
What are dendrites?
Dendrites are neurons that bring in information.
What type of neuron does a child primarily develop in the first three years of life?
Dendrites.
Why are our brains not fully developed at birth?
- We cannot be pre-wired to meet every life scenario.
- We grow connections (synapses) as needed.
What happens when we stop using or needing specific synapses?
Neural pruning occurs - the connections wither away.
What is myelin and what is it’s purpose?
Myelin is a fat layer that develops on synapses that are used frequently. It provides protection for the connection and allows for it to pass faster and be stronger.
How do we create strong synapses? Three “R’s”
- Repetition
- Routine
- Reinforcement
How quickly do synapses form? When do they peak and prune?
Growth is unfathomably rapid in infancy and early childhood. It peaks and are pruned significantly by adolescence.
At what age does it become very difficult to change a child’s emotional responses?
3 years old.
What are some positive experiences we can provide for baby to help them develop healthy emotional responses?
- Sharing interesting experiences with them.
- Ensuring a strong sense of security.
- Lots of touch (esp. skin to skin)
- speaking to them lovingly.
- Varying what they see and hear
How do we help an infant develop healthy emotional responses?
Babies are more likely to grow up emotionally healthy if we create positive experiences for them.
What are some of the earliest connections (synapses) that an infant develops?
- Automatic “unconscious” responses such as blood pressure, heart rate, and body temp.
- Emotional processing connections, which is why it is so hard for people to change their emotional responses.
What do babies do when they are over stimulated and what should you not do when they are?
Babies will avert their gaze from the overstimulating experience. Since faces are what baby primarily sees, they can be overstimulating and you should never get into a child’s face or force them to look at you when they are agitated, fussy, or overstimulated - calm the baby without looking at their face.
Do individual stressful events cause long term damage to baby?
no, unless it was horrifically traumatic.
What is neuroplasticity?
It is the brain’s ability to heal and reorganize its synapses through consistent repetitive improvement measurements. The older we get, the longer neuroplasticity takes.
What are the three main elements that give babies opportunity for optimal developmental?
- Meeting their nutritional needs.
- Attention and environment.
- Sleep.
What is the breast crawl?
The instinct of newborns to move towards the nipple and attach to it for breastfeeding all by themselves.
What is galactosemia?
an intolerance to breastmilk
How do babies know where to go during the breast crawl?
Through olfactory cues from glands on the breast.
Who has more olfactory glands: first time mothers or experienced mothers?
First time mothers.
What matters more when it comes to nutrition and brain development: quantity or quality?
Quality! baby must still meet their caloric needs.
Why is it important for a chest-feeding parent to continue taking prenatal vitamins after giving birth, or postnatal vitamins?
They help the parent recover from birth and also provide valuable nutrients to baby that the parent’s body does not typical off naturally.
What two goals should we have in mind when setting up a babies’ environment? (what two types of environment should we set up?)
- To stimulate; a space for appropriate stimulation.
2. To soothe and rest; a quality space for sleeping.
When a babies’ eyes are bright, glossy, attentive - what does that mean and what is it linked to?
It means the baby is alert and paying attention which is linked to intelligence.
How can directly impact the development of an infant’s attention span?
We can provide appropriate activities that help increase an infant’s attention span which has a lifelong affect.
Why shouldn’t we hang a mobile over a babies’ crib or other sleeping area? Where would be a good alternative space and why?
Most mobiles are too stimulating and have a negative impact on helping develop good sleeping habits for baby.
Hanging one over the changing area gives baby something to focus on while you change them.
Why is it important to provide a positive environment for baby?
Positive environments equal a relaxed, alert brain that takes in and responds positively to it’s environment. It has been shown that if a baby is in a chronically negative (stressful) environment their eyes gloss over and they zone out due to their brains being overwhelmed and unable to cope.
What type of lightbulbs are recommended in a babies’ sleep environment?
Red lightbulbs.
Why is it important to eliminate or reduce exposure to technology as much as possible, around baby?
- Blue light directly impacts sleep (negatively), even when they are already asleep.
- EMF exposure from tech devices effect brain development and have been linked to the development of cancer.
What matters most when it comes to providing optimal attention and environment?
- Spending time in face to face with a trusted caregiver.
- Being exposed to age appropriate play activities.
- Limiting the amount and quality (sans blue light) of screen exposure.
- down time, every day - don’t over schedule!
What two skills can we help baby develop that improves their attention span for life?
- maintaining focus on a new thing.
2. Shutting out other distractions.
Why is developing attention span difficult?
It requires coordination of the senses in multiple areas of the brain. It takes awhile for the brain to learn how to shut things out and pay attention for long periods.
How do we know baby is paying attention to something?
They are alert and turn towards the object or interest.
What is the Marshmallow experiment?
Children are left in a room with one marshmallow. They are told that if they wait to eat the marshmallow until (the adult) comes back (in a few minutes), they will get another marshmallow. Studies show that those who were able to delay gratification had much greater academic, personal, and social success later in life.
What can we do as caregivers to help provide optimal environments for the development of an infant’s attention span?
- no tech zone for you and parents (as much as possible).
- Take things back to the basics and limit or eliminate tech toys.
- Keep contrast in mind (black and white, loud and quiet, large and small)
What is parentese talk?
a type of speech where an adult talks to a baby in an exaggerated and repetitive way. (baby talk)
Lack of proper deep sleep can lead to what?
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Work and traffic accidents
- Depression
- Obesity
- Auto-immune disorders
What is the length of an adult’s sleep cycle, an infants?
An adult’s sleep cycle is 75-90 minutes while an infant’s is 30-45 minutes.
Why does the sleep cycle length matter?
It informs us on how long it will take baby to go through the 5 stages of sleep. We can use that information to figure out when is the best time to start putting baby to sleep, when they are likely to wake from stimulation, and approximately how long they will sleep for.
Which sleep stages are most critical for brain function and why?
The deep sleep stages 3,4, and REM. Deep sleep allows for restoration, without it, neurons and the development of their pathways are impacted - Neural connections are not as strong and can malfunction (go down wrong pathway). Pruning also occurs during deep sleep.
Are the neural connections that infants form while awake the same as when they are asleep?
no, they are different.
If parent’s want to use the extinction (cry it out) method, how can we meet them half way?
- Listen
- Explain that you do not feel comfortable jumping right into and offer to create a weaning plan that starts several weeks before the extinction weekend.
What is a retainer fee?
A retainer fee is based on a week’s salary and is provided as a deposit. The retainer fee is applied as the second to last week’s salary (acts as a two-weeks notice from parents). It’s purpose is to guarantee the NCS will be available and shows them the family is serious about hiring one.
If a baby is on medication that is applied to the inside of their cheeks, how can you get them to swallow it?
Gently blow on their face.
How do you keep a baby awake during feedings? (Especially for preemies in higher order multiples)
Some tricks are:
- Stroking their cheeks
- a cold wipe on a foot
- unswaddling
With preemie multiples, at what point is it fine to not wake a baby for nighttime group feedings?
once the baby is taking in approximately 24oz during daytime feedings.
How long should nighttime feedings take with higher order multiples?
no longer than 50 mins.
Why are swaddling blankets with Velcro a bad idea?
The Velcro is very loud to baby and will interrupt their sleep/peace every time you need to change them.
What is the typically amount of time babies are recommended to be propped up after feedings if they have reflux?
20 to 30 mins
How do you night feed with higher order multiples (3 or more)?
- Prepare feeding area in advance: Place all boppies out (each with a clean burp rag), have everything you need for the next 50mins in reaching distance.
- If baby will be in boppy to feed, prop them up so that they are at a slight angle to the right (helps with reflux).
- If using a blanket to prop a bottle make sure it is 100% cotton (breathable).
- When baby is done eating, place them on their belly over the top of the boppy to help with burping.
- Change babies during feeding time and do not change again before putting back to sleep unless they pooped.
What do you do when you have multiple babies crying?
- Quickly evaluate the situation for safety and health concerns. If none then attend to the baby who is easiest to soothe.
- Continue to soothe the babies in order of easiest.
- Ask parents (or volunteers) for help if nothing is working.
Many preemies have sleep apnea and have machines to alert us if they are not breathing correctly. What should we know about using these?
- Make sure you are instructed on how to use one from baby’s healthcare provider.
- Have a liability release form signed.
- White wire is placed under the right arm.
- The bank is placed across the chest.
- If the band is too loose, the machine will sound false alarms.
What is breastmilk composed of?
- water
- fat
- carbohydrates
- protein
- vitamins and minerals
- amino acids
- enzymes
- white blood cells
Why is fat an important nutrient for newborns?
- primary source of calories
- helps with absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
- essential for brain, retina and nervous system development.
What is the source of carbohydrates in breastmilk.
Lactose (milk sugar).
Why is lactose an important nutrient for newborns and how much of the calories does it make up?
- 40% of the calories
- Lactose decreases unhealthy bacteria and promotes absorption of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.
Is breastmilk stagnant?
No, the composition of breast milk changes for various reasons.
When does the composition of breastmilk change?
- Through various stages after delivery and throughout infant growth.
- In response to illness
- Changes in response to the climate you live in.
- Different hormones are produced throughout the day depending on the time which change the composition.