A Masterclass in Brain Development with Dr. Pete Stavinoha

r. Pete Stavinoha joins Dr. Heidi Rossetti on today's episode. Dr. Stavinoha is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology. In addition, he works with children, adolescents, and young adults with a variety of neurologic illnesses and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Stavinoha has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles and co-authored two books for parents that have been translated into multiple languages, including Stress-Free Discipline: Simple Strategies for Handling Common Behavior Problems and Stress-Free Potty Training: A Commonsense Guide to Finding the Right Approach for Your Child. In this episode, Dr. Stavinoha shares his wealth of pre-birth to adulthood brain development knowledge.

Dr. Stavinoha begins by talking about what happens with the brain in gestation. He then details the neural tube, the development and function of the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, cell proliferation and migration, and potential complications in premature birth that affect brain development. He talks at length about factors that impact fetal brain development, emphasizes the value of good nutrition in brain development, and discusses other strategies such as exercise, stress management, and music, among others, that parents can employ to optimize brain development in utero. Dr. Stavinoha then converses about what happens in the brain in early childhood, the impact of the environment around the child on brain development, how infant and early childhood behavior reflects what's going on in the developing brain, and addresses common misperceptions parents have about their child's behavior or brain. He also offers some sage advice for parents, and shares what they can expect when their child has a  pediatric neuro-psych assessment as well as where to find someone qualified to do that type of assessment with their child. Filled with a vast amount of quality information and advice from a proven leader in the field, today’s episode is truly a masterclass in brain development that parents and non-parents alike need to hear.

Episode Highlights:

·   The brain in gestation

·   The neural tube and the development and functions of the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain

·   Cell proliferation and migration

·   Potential complications in premature birth that affect brain development

·   Factors that impact fetal brain development

·   The importance of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for brain development

·   How to optimize brain development in utero

·   Synapses and their function in brain development

·   The effect of the environment on brain development

·   The importance of security, predictability, and protection from toxic stress in early childhood

·   Toxic stress: What it is and its impact on brain development

·   Tolerable stresses and how they build resilience

·   Impact of the COVID pandemic on children

·   Sensitive periods and critical periods in childhood

·   The need to emphasize reading with your child

·   Brain plasticity and how it changes throughout a child's growth.

·   How infant and early childhood behavior reflects what's going on in the developing brain

·   Common misperceptions that parents have about their child's behavior or brain

·   Ignore – the single best solution to a temper tantrum

·   Brain...