The #1 truth baby development professionals agree on

I'd like to share an important fact with you.

And most baby development professionals agree on this one fact.

Yet, most parents find it unbelievable that many learning problems at school originate during your baby's first few formative years. That's why it's so important to give your child the very best during the first year or three.

But fortunately most, if not almost all, of these problems can be overcome by closely measuring and watching your baby's development during the first years. And then taking the right steps to keep development on track... steps like those highlighted in Esther Andrew's book "How To Develop Your Child's Genius" at
http://www.babydevelopmentnews.com/childgenius.html

Big milestones like sitting, crawling, standing and walking are most often the only ones parents focus on, talk about and concern themselves with.

But one of the most important milestones is simply never talked about or even measured. Yet, it's vitally important to make sure your child gets this milestone in place... and at the right time.

This milestone is... proper head control.

I believe most parents just take head control for granted and assume that it happens automatically. And that everything is always OK.

But here's the important part... if you know what to look for and what to measure, then proper head control is also the very first indication that your baby is developing correctly.

Watching a baby grow up is very similar to following a roadmap while traveling. You know where you want to go. And you know when you must be there. So you use the map to see if you're following the right route. And, more important, are you getting there in time.

I suggest that head control is the first real chance you have to accurately measure and ensure your baby is developing well. And ensure everything is OK.

Many parents are really not aware that head control is a very important milestone that influences the development of all the other major milestones.

But with newborns you'll often hear parents and friends unknowingly commenting on how "strong" your baby is. This comment is off course based on how well your baby controls her head. But very few parents actually realize that this is a major achievement and critically important. And that all further development is build on this ability.

Head control greatly influences all other baby developments like, sitting, crawling, standing and walking.

Proper head control is a key milestone. And head control is also associated with many very important reflex reactions.

Proper head control is also a very important "trigger"... or starter, for your baby's movements. Stated slightly differently it simply means that many of your baby's movements are triggered by head movement.

Head control triggers many movements and reactions in your child. It is also the starting point and the basis on which all of the other milestones build.

Let's look at an example.

When your baby lies on his back he'll reach the stage where he'll typically follow a moving object with his eyes in his near vicinity. Now, he'll move his eyes until the arm and shoulder are automatically turned to keep on following the object. If you really think about it, it is probably the eye focus and the stimulation by what is seen that is the major trigger for most of the reactions and movement.

That's why it's so important to use visual stimulation to encourage your baby's development.

Make use of techniques where senses like seeing and hearing are used to trigger movement and reaction if you want to effectively stimulate your baby. Most babies react spontaneously to any visual or audio stimulus. Focusing on these senses are also most effective to stimulate your child.

Now here's the most important part... without proper head control it's physically not possible for a baby to sit, crawl, stand or walk.

But there is something very important about this last statement.

About 90% of all babies have good head control at 3.5 months. This simply means that at 3.5 months your baby should be able to easily lift her head to look ahead when lying on the floor. So, it's not as if your baby can reach this milestone any time. There is a specific age when this milestone must be mastered.

Coming back to our traveling example. It's almost like reaching one of the towns at a very specific time. If you're late... you'll have to make up time somehow.

So, when your baby is falling behind reaching one or more milestones, you can get development back on track with the right encouragement and stimulation.

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The #1 Truth Baby Development Professionals Agree On