The Brain: The Most Important Influence Of Child Brain Development

The brain, also known as the “boss” of the human body, is an instrumental organ that directs all of the body’s activities. Whether a means to maintain homeostasis or a means to prevent diseases vis-à-vis the blood barrier, the brain is a key component, which, if unable to properly execute actions, can alter the functions of the body. Therefore, although there is a plethora of factors of child brain development, the most important influences are maternal distress during pregnancy, the environment, such as biological and physical stimuli, and prenatal and postnatal nutrition. As an organ that is responsible for directing the processes of the immune system or fighting against bacterial diseases like meningitis, the brain begins developing during the nine-month gestational period. During pregnancy, the central nervous system is significantly growing as the “neuronal tube” becomes visible by transforming into the “head end,” which is the brain and by transforming into the “tail

Hence, “neuronal migration,” a period of time during the second-trimester of pregnancy, begins in the lumen and continues for the duration of the pregnancy. The migration forms “three main cell layers” in the outer component of the brain, the cortex, making various neuronal positions irreversible once the process is complete, a time when neurons begin making “synaptic connections.” Improper placement of neurons engenders equally improper locations of different parts of the brain, thus causing “inadequate synaptic connections.” Therefore, environmental stimuli, like alcohol and drugs, and maternal distress during pregnancy are detrimental to neuronal migration, which are proven to cause mental disorders like schizophrenia vis-à-vis