Welcoming Social Environments For Babies

"We evolved big social brains that develop mostly after birth. Because newborns have only 25% or less of adult brain volume, they need a supportive environment to maintain a growth-encouraging biochemistry during the first years of life when their brain more than triples in size. Frequent breastfeeding provides a wash of appropriate hormones, immunoglobulins and other elements that build healthy brain and bodies.

But minimizing distress is also important as extensive stress mobilizes cortisol, which at high levels destroys brain connections and signals danger, undermining growth generally."