After passing through the period of growth in the womb, the child will begin to know the world and adapt to the surrounding environment shortly after he was born until the next few months. Therefore, this is the most appropriate moment for parents to start providing stimulation to support children's growth and development. One of the best stimulations for the baby is multisensory stimulation. What are the benefits of this stimulation?
What is multisensory stimulation?
Multisensory stimulation is a series of exercises given by parents to stimulate the sharpness of the functions of the five (five) senses of the baby - hearing, sight, touch, smearing, tasting.
Multisensory stimulation helps strengthen the connection of brain fibers (synapses) and baby brain cells to support optimal brain function. The baby's brain can produce up to 1.8 million new synaptic connections per second. The baby's experience will determine which synapses will be maintained.
For that, a variety of experiences are needed to further expand his brain network. The more number of brain cells and the better the connection of each cell, the more optimal the brain to use. Intelligence and brain function are two inseparable things. If you want a smart child, the brain function must also be optimal.
Why is this stimulation important?
Sensory stimulation in infants is very important at the beginning of its growth. The more varied the type of exercise, the more the five senses are involved, and the more often this stimulation is given, the better the process of growth and development of the baby. Stimulation of various baby sensory devices sends signals to the brain which can encourage nerves to improve the learning process.
In the first three years of the baby, there are rapid developments in most of the brain's nerve pathways that support communication, social development, understanding, and emotional intelligence.
Multisensory stimulation has been shown to improve brain development and ultimately contribute to overall infant health.
Multisensory stimulation includes talking to the baby in a warm and soothing voice (auditory stimulation), skin contact through massage (touch stimulation), and doing as much as possible direct eye contact (visual stimulation) can help reduce stress in the baby. Decreasing cortisol levels in infants can enable them to learn, think, develop, and increase their ability to suckle.
Benefits of multisensory stimulation for infant growth
1. Increase focus
Multi sensory stimulation can help improve concentration, attention, and alertness in children. Continuous stimulation of the five senses can help hyperactive children learn to focus focus and concentration, and train them to deal with various social situations scenarios in the real world more calmly. You can help your child to be more aware of the environment around them, which can improve behavior both at school and at home.
2. Developing sensory devices
Stimulating the five senses through direct stimulation, toys, activities, and attractive equipment can encourage your child to explore the environment without feeling afraid or burdened. The whole goal of a multisensory environment is to stimulate your toddler's brain that is needed to process hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste.
3. Physical development
Training all the senses of the child will gradually teach it about hand-foot-eye coordination, including holding and reaching for objects. When the baby starts learning to move, besides practicing his mobility skills, there will be a lot of multi-sensory stimulation that happens to him.
4. Sharpen communication
All five senses play an important role in training human ability to communicate. By understanding what touch feels comfortable or not; noisy or too slow sounds, or foods that are too hot or cold, for example, children will be able to convey their wishes more organized. Direct contact can maximize growth and development.
5. Reducing stress in children
Several studies have shown that consistent multisensory stimulation is useful for reducing stress in healthy and premature babies. This statement was echoed by the Obstetric and Neonatal Nur of the Association of Women 's Health report, which said that complete multisensory stimulation plus continuous coordination and balance can reduce stress levels in infants.
Stress can greatly affect the baby's brain development since pregnancy and will continue for a critical period in the first three years of his life. Babies who routinely receive multisensory stimulation show a significant and stable decrease in cortisol levels over time.