Our knowledge of newborns used to be based on ungrounded theories and vague observations, and it seemed that babies developed almost magically from one month to the next.

Those days are over. Not only do we know more about the brain, we also know more about how it develops from the first stages of pregnancy. In this book a distinguished specialist on the infant brain gives us a comprehensive view of recent research in this exciting field. He follows the various landmarks in brain development that will later enable sight, hearing, consciousness, verbal exchanges and memory.

Professor Lagercrantz studies the conditions that stop certain malformations from developing. He also examines the implications of recent research on the brain for education and childcare.

Finally, he offers new approaches to overcome the futile debate between nature and nurture.

The author takes us on a fascinating journey into the developing brain as the child grows and is stimulated. He shows how the results of the most recent research can help us to deepen our understanding of infants, so that we will be able to encourage their development under the best conditions.

Hugo Lagercrantz is a professor of paediatrics and neonatal care at Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm.