How "serve and return" interaction accelerates infant speech development, helping mothers boost early brain connections from day one.
You might feel silly making those high-pitched sounds, but when your baby coos and you coo back, you are doing something profound.
Experts call it "serve and return".
Attuning to your baby's reaction is what creates the social smile—the most anticipated milestone for four-month-olds.
This simple back-and-forth coo-ing is laying the neuronal groundwork for language and communication.
It creates grooves in the brain that allow for trust and understanding later in life.
It’s how we assemble the toolkit they’ll need to succeed in the 21st century.
Don't be in a hurry to hand them a tablet; they need your human voice and touch.
Connections in the brain can increase by 25% simply based on how a parent responds to their baby's cues.
Coo, sing, and read aloud to your child.
Those little silly moments are pure brain food.
You are literally building their foundation for future success.
Dr. Camilla Gupta is a board-certified pediatrician at ABC Pediatrics in Corpus Christi, TX.
Visit her main website to book a prenatal visit, transfer care or book an appointment.