A baby's memory starts developing earlier than you think!

The Earliest Memories
Many parents have no idea how strong their young child's memory can be. We assume that because we typically remember nothing from our earliest days, our baby's memory must take years to develop.

But experts say that even the youngest babies are constantly making memories, and by encouraging their little ones to flex their memory muscles, parents may actually help them become better learners. It turns out that babies are wired to make memories even before they're born -- the nerve cells responsible for memory are formed by the third trimester of pregnancy.

Emotional connection also plays a role in how well a young child remembers a person or place. For example, your toddler may react with delight when he sees his grandmother because he recalls being cuddled. Though he may not remember the time or the place, he remembers the good feelings he got from this person.

Language and Memory
Babies between 6 and 12 months regularly demonstrate their memory skills -- they remember familiar people, such as Grandma; procedures, such as how to make the music box play; and routines, such as what happens after Mom fills the tub. This is also the time when your baby begins to recognize how words relate to objects.

Children between 18 months and 2 years usually go through what experts dub "the language explosion," during which they demonstrate how many words they have learned and remembered by naming everything in sight. Not only can your toddler remember the names of objects, but he also recalls the words to his favorite stories and will protest when you leave out a word or a page.

Children's personalities can also influence what they remember; some kids are people catalogers, while others are more likely to remember activities.

Memory Timeline
Newborn

• Baby has "recognition" memory; she behaves differently when she's presented with sights, smells, or sounds she has encountered before as opposed to new stimuli.
• She has not developed short-term or long-term memory.
• She probably won't remember a relative who visited last week.

0 to 6 months

• Baby can remember how to perform certain tasks, particularly if periodic reminders are given.
• He begins to possess short-term memory.

6 to 12 months

• Baby regularly demonstrates that she remembers certain procedures, routines, faces, and words.
• Her short-term memory continues to grow.
• Conscious memory may exist, but she won't be able to demonstrate it until she can speak.

1 to 2 years

• Baby demonstrates that he has explicit memory, typically by returning to a place and showing, through words or behavior, that he specifically remembers a past visit there.
• He recalls language in books and will protest it loudly if you try to skip words or pages.

2 to 3 years

• Baby starts to speak about events even when she is nowhere near the place where the event occurred.
• She develops a more sophisticated type of explicit memory.

3 years old

• Baby will likely experience the event that will become her first memory -- the earliest one to last until adulthood. These usually carry some emotional significance.
• Proficiency in language allows memories to be encoded for the long term.

The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's condition.