In babies, synapse formation in the visual cortex peaks at three months and is finished at age two whilst an infant s auditory map is formed by twelve months. If the chance to practice a skill is missed during the window, a child may either never learn it, or its learning may be impaired. The window for emotional development may occur from eight to 18 months and is shaped by a mother s interaction style. The wrong style can have disastrous results. Such systems emerge as a result of give and take between mother and child.
Babies become socially dysfunctional if mothers are unresponsive to their needs.
12 Human babies thrive on warm, responsive, early care. Premature babies who are touched and held on a regular basis gain weight more quickly, make greater gains in head circumference and show greater overall improvement. Infants that receive early care experience fewer behavioural problems at elementary school. They also have higher emotional intelligence , that is a higher emotional self-awareness and the ability to identify their feelings. Their interaction with others tends to be positive, healthy, mutually productive and crucially, non-violent.