Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Music lessons are good for babies, whereas anesthesia is bad for a baby’s brain report researchers.

And there is something you can do to try and make sure of optimum brain development for your baby during pregnancy as well. Here is what the research tells us:

Music lessons benefit baby brains

When young babies 12 months of age were exposed to music lessons, they were seen to be better communicator. In a Canadian study, parents and babies learned percussion instruments and songs in turn.

The interactive music sessions improved the babies’ sensitivity to musical pitch and so on.

Anesthesia could damage baby brains

An animal study conducted by researchers at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital found that anesthetics were toxic for babies’ brains and could mean development was affected negatively.

General anesthetics could be toxic and could cause cell death, it is thought and could mean learning disabilities later in life.

What you can do during pregnancy to enhance baby’s brain development

A prenatal vitamin can help baby get the necessary nutrients for bone health, blood cells and collagen; and the zinc helps in brain development of the fetus.

Getting sufficient Omega 3 intake during pregnancy may also provide baby’s brain the nutrition it needs. You can get this from eating fatty fish.

A Harvard medical school study has shown that women who ate more fish during the second trimester of pregnancy had babies who scored higher on brain development tests at age 6 months. Remember to avoid king mackerel, tile fish and shark though, because of their higher mercury content.

Antioxidants found in fresh fruit and veggies are good for baby’s brain development. In particular, pick bright colored produce such as tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, papaya and so on.

It goes without saying that smoking and alcohol are to be omitted to ensure proper brain development for baby.

Protein intake is something else to look at during pregnancy. Get it from skim milk, yoghurt, low fat cheese, beans, peanut butter and lean meat.

Iron intake is another important aspect that influences baby’s brain development since it carries oxygen to the fetus. Women who are iron deficient or have anemia have to be particularly careful about their iron intake during pregnancy. Eat plenty of leafy greens, lean meat, cereals and take a supplement if required.

Do everything you can to avoid premature delivery because the longer baby stays in the womb (up until the due date) the better it is for their brain’s development.