During pregnancy, a woman’s mental and physical health, behaviour, relationships and environment all influence the intrauterine environment and the developing foetus, and can have a significant impact on the baby’s wellbeing and long term outcomes.
After birth, babies’ brains and bodies continue to develop rapidly. In the first two years of life, 700 new neural connections form in the brain every second (Center on the Developing Child, 2014). Because of this, any early experience – positive or negative – can potentially have long term and far reaching impacts.
Whilst a baby’s future is not completely determined by their early life, without firm foundations, success later in life can be more difficult (Center on the Developing Child, 2007).
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