Back to School - Part 1 of 6

Mom and Dad started prenatal classes last night (though Dad is on the other side of the country at the moment so Mom went alone). The topic was "Infant Brain Development." After having the worst work day of her semester so far (long story...), Mom came into class a little crusty and with a touch of know-it-all attitude (given her past experience with ~26 foster babies); however, learning about baby psychology in the company of like-minded couples was just what Mom needed and it turned out she learned a lot, particularly the latest psychology research and some safety things too. For example,

• If baby spends his/her first hour of life on Mom's upper abdomen, s/he can actually self-navigate to the breast through leg and head movement.
• In the first 3 months of life, baby makes one thousand trillion (how many zeros is that?) synapses as a result of stimulation of the senses.
• No child under 2 should be introduced even once to TV because the infant brain can simply not process the speed with which images go across the screen and it is therefore not good developmentally. Wonder if Baby Einstein marketers know (or care) about this research.
• It isn't until the fourth month that babies are "smart" enough to manipulate through crying, i.e., picking your baby up within one minute of crying does not spoil them and apparently better prepares them for handling stressful situations later on in life (would like to see the journal article reference for this one!)
• Buy nylon and polyester clothing (as opposed to cotton) for baby, as they are less likely to catch fire as quickly (yikes!)
• Infant car seats expire after 6 years.

Five more classes to go (with Dad this time), including "Breastfeeding," "Hospital Tour," and "Relaxation and Breathing."