People say kids are getting smarter all the time. A group of
state public health
leaders intends to make sure that’s true.

Starting in October, key public health agencies, universities
and others will begin a
statewide training program called “Better Brains for Babies:
Maximizing Georgia’s
Brain Power.”

The planners are banking on the latest research on early
brain development. The
findings show that babies’ first three years of life greatly
affect how they function for
many years afterwards.

“Governor Miller called attention to this research when he
distributed classical
music CDs to parents of newborn children in Georgia,” said Brian
Ziegler, state
director and national adviser for the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter.

“We’re taking the next step,” Ziegler said. “We will train
community
leaders so they can pass the information on to parents and
anyone who cares for small
children. We want everyone to know what babies need to help
their brains develop.”

The first groups of professionals and advocates will attend
trainings in Tifton Oct. 6,
Macon Oct. 7 and Athens Oct. 9. Child-care providers, licensing
staff, parents, foster
parents and others will have similar training.

The “Making Change for Children” Summit in Atlanta Oct. 15-16
will kick off
the statewide program. Community leaders there will meet
trainers, learn about the
research and arrange presentations in their communities.

“Babies’ brains develop fast before age three,” said Dr.
Kathleen E. Toomey,
director of the Georgia
Department of Human Resources Division of Public
Health. “Unlike other organs,
the brain acquires much of its capacity after birth, by
extending and connecting billions
of neurons.”

Toomey said it’s vital to “do everything we can to see that
infants are stimulated
at this critical age.”

The trainings will help policy makers, too, said Dr. William
Sexson of the Georgia Policy
Council for Children and Families.

“In the past, we’ve paid a lot of attention to school-age
children,” Sexson
said. “But we haven’t addressed children’s needs in their first
three years. Now we
can make better decisions to help families prepare their
children to meet the social and
educational challenges of our society.”

What can parents do? Here are some tips.

• Get good prenatal care. Pregnant women should eat a
  healthy diet, avoid alcohol and
  other drugs and have regular prenatal checkups.
• Breast milk provides the ideal nutritional balance. If you
  don’t breast-feed, give your
  baby an iron-fortified infant formula. And always hold her
  when you feed her.
• Create a safe environment. Are your baby’s surroundings
  clean? Are there dangers such as
  sharp objects or things that could choke him? Does he always
  ride in a car safety seat?
• Talk to your baby. Make eye contact. Smile. Play rhyming
  games. Read aloud. As she gets
  older, ask questions and explain things to her.
• Find quality child care. Look for care-givers who provide
  a safe environment and
  enriching new experiences.
• Play rich, complex music. Sing songs. Let your child try
  musical instruments.
• Limit television. Children need to interact with real,
  live people.
• Take care of yourself. Stressed parents tend to stress
  their babies. So take some time
  for yourself. Find people who can support you as a
  parent.
• Get the information you need. Ask your pediatrician. Your
  child-care provider or
  librarian can suggest good books on child development. And
  the county Extension Service
  office can give you more information on parenting.

The DHR Division of Public Health provides the funding for
the program. The GSU School
of Nursing coordinates the training. And the March of Dimes
provides technical help.

Statewide sponsors include the DHR Family Health Branch,
Georgia Chapter of the March
of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, University
of Georgia College of Family and
Consumer Sciences, Georgia State
University School of
Nursing, GPCCF and The Family Connection.