HOW A CHILD'S BRAIN DEVELOPS
"No period of life is more important than its start. Focusing on a relatively brief time can lead to a whole lifetime of promise." ANGELA FAN Baltimore, Maryland
Your article on the brain, the windows of opportunity for development at various ages, and neural plasticity [SPECIAL REPORT, Feb. 3] should challenge parents and educators to question some popular assumptions about child rearing. Because the brain's greatest growth spurt continues until age 10, and "rich experiences really do produce rich brains," we should strive to give our children a wide variety of experiences rather than depend on artificial delivery systems. That is why learning in the real world is so powerful for young children, and computers, which merely deliver a "virtual" experience, may be appropriate for older students but not younger ones. WILLIAM L. RUKEYSER Woodland, California
Your report should be read by everyone, not just parents and teachers. If I had known what I learned from your article when my sons were born, I would have been a much better and more effective father. HANS LOWHURST Woodside, California
The people who need to change their ways of child rearing certainly aren't going to do so because of a technical, complex article they are incapable of reading. And the politicians who make the policies sure as hell aren't interested in axons, dendrites and synapses. GENE JACKSON Walnut Springs, Texas
It is high time we recognize the far-reaching effects of neglect and abuse of the very young--not just on children but on society as a whole. OWEN W. DYKEMA Roseburg, Oregon
To call for greater social spending as the way to help young brains develop properly misses the mark. Where is the demand for greater individual responsibility? Now, more than ever, prospective parents must carefully consider the time commitment required to raise children. The new findings call for people to take greater responsibility for their actions, not for the government to increase spending on social programs. MICHAEL V. IPPOLITO JR. Bedminster, New Jersey
At the end of your story you noted that "just last week, in the U.S. alone, some 77,000 newborns began the miraculous process of wiring their brains for a lifetime of learning." But what of the countless unborn who are cut off at the outset of their miraculous journey? KARIN L. AUCONE Manchester-by-the Sea, Massachusetts
As parents our obligations seem so simple and the results so awesome: provide a stimulating, rich environment, and the consequent neural activity will give us back a human being with a brain rich in learning and memory and unique in emotion and thought. And we know that it is simple to shape our children's behavior. All we need to do is model the behavior we wish to see in our youngsters. What then keeps us from being immensely successful in our parenting? JOSEPH K. VALAITIS Brecksville, Ohio
You failed to note the critical role breast feeding plays in optimizing a baby's brain power. Mother's milk contains important building blocks not found in any domestic infant formula. Babies breast fed just one month have an 8-point IQ advantage as kindergartners, and that figure rises with extended breast feeding. LAURA HAYNES COLLECTOR The Breast-Feeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles Irwindale, California