The Brains Of Male Babies Grow Faster Than Those Of Female Babies
Did you know that the human brain grows the fastest once a baby’s born, and reaches half the size of an adult brain within just three months? A JAMA Neurology study, led by scientists at the University of California, confirmed this finding.
The study focused on how quickly the brain of a baby grows. And, by applying sophisticated scanning techniques, researchers found that male brain grows much faster than the female counterpart. The areas of the brain associated with motor development, experienced a quick growth, while the areas of the brain associated with memory were slow to develop.
Researchers also believe that gathering this data might help them recognize early symptoms of disorders or disabilities such as autism.
Measuring brain development
The traditional way doctors measure brain development is by assessing the baby’s head circumference during the necessary time-frame. If there are any digressions to the regular growth pattern, it is monitored closely to identify developmental problems.
However, the tape measurement method is not always spot on.
The study involved scanning brains of 87 healthy babies from the time of birth to the third month of their lives. The rapid changes after birth were recorded. It was found that the average rate at which a newborn brain grew was 1 percent a day which slowed to 0.4 percent a day at the end of the ninety-day period.
The growth trajectory thereby obtained for the different parts of the brain might help the researchers understand how early disorders can surface. It was found that the cerebellum, which is associated with the control of movement, showed the highest growth rate, gaining double the size over the ninety-day period. The slowest part of the brain measured is the hippocampus. And, the hippocampus is crucial in forming memories.
The accuracy of date
The findings reflect the relative importance of developing skills during infancy. Dr. Martin Ward Platt, a consultant pediatrician at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, told the BBC that it was the first time when anyone has published accurate data about the way baby’s brains grow as opposed to considering data from post-mortem studies or scanning methods.
The researchers also observed that the brains were four percent smaller than those of full-term born babies. The brains were also two percent smaller towards the end of the third month when compared to the babies born on time.
Researchers are contemplating whether consuming drugs or alcohol during your pregnancy can influence the size of the brain at birth.
The brain grows at an incredible rate during development. Apparently, the brain has an astonishing 250,000 neurons being added every minute! In fact at the time of birth, the brain does have almost all of the neurons that it must have. However, the brain continues to grow for a few years after birth. By the time a child reaches the age of two, the brain is almost 80 percent the adult size.
Despite the necessary neurons present, the brain continues to grow because the glial cells continue to divide and multiply. Glial cells play a crucial role in maintaining the normal brain function and insulating the nerve cells with myelin. Moreover, the neurons build several new connections after birth.
The brain grows at an incredible rate during development. Apparently, the brain has an astonishing 250,000 neurons being added every minute! In fact at the time of birth, the brain has almost all the neurons that it must have. However, the brain continues to grow for a few years after birth. By the time a child reaches the age of two, the brain is almost 80 percent the adult size.
Despite the necessary neurons present, the brain continues to grow because the glial cells continue to divide and multiply. Glial cells play a crucial role in maintaining the normal brain function and insulating the nerve cells with myelin. Moreover, the neurons build several new connections after birth.
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