Stating that the first years of childhood are an important period for human development and that the brain develops the fastest during this period, Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer said that in the first 4 years of life, brain nerve cells make 750-1000 new attachments per second. Ülküer said that these attachments are closely related to the child's health and good nutrition, as well as their interactions with the adults around them and the richness of stimuli.
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer, Lecturer of Child Development at Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, said that child development studies are gaining importance in national and international platforms and that child development forms the basis of human development, social and economic developments.
Early childhood forms the basis of development
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer emphasized that the early childhood period, which covers the first 8 years of childhood as stated in the 7th general comment of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), forms the basis of human development. Prof. Dr. Ülküer said, "This does not mean that the child and even we adults do not develop in the later stages of our lives, but it emphasizes that these ages are the most decisive period of our entire life cycle."
The fastest learning takes place in early childhood
Stating that early childhood is the period when the human brain develops the fastest, Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer said, "The brain reaches 87% of its normal weight in the third year of life; again, during this period, the brain is at its most flexible and adaptive period and loses 50% of its flexibility in the first seven years."
Interaction is very important in the first 4 years
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer stated that in the first years of life, brain nerve cells make 750-1000 new connections per second and that these connections are closely related to the child's health and good nutrition, as well as the interactions with the adults around them and the richness of stimuli.
Prof. Dr. Ülküer said, "In brain development, the first 4 years are the sensitive periods in which neural cell attachments, which provide the development of skills such as language, vision and hearing, emotional control, socialization and basic habits, are the fastest."
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer said, "The child tries to complete this development in an intertwined ecological environment determined by physical, social, cultural and economic conditions, starting from prenatal period until the end of adolescence."
Everyone has a responsibility in child development
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer emphasized that the environments such as family environment, neighborhood, playground and school where each child is born differ from each other and said, "Each child is different from each other, but as stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, they have the right to reach their development potential with the same equality." Ülküer emphasized that in order to realize these rights in the best way possible, especially parents, health, education, social services and other relevant institutions and organizations, society, the state and international communities have responsibilities.
Child development is an inter-disciplinary field
Emphasizing that the development of the child should be handled with an interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral approach starting from the first years of life, Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer said, "The child development department is an interdisciplinary field that synthesizes the knowledge and equipment necessary for the development of the child and that will help him/her make and maintain the best start to life."
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer stated that child developers are professionals who have at least 4 years of undergraduate education from faculties or colleges of health sciences in order to implement these practices, to prepare the appropriate environment at home, health centers, institutions, schools for the holistic development of the child, to take part in the early detection and intervention of developmental pauses with monitoring and evaluation methods.
Development of migrant and refugee children should be monitored
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer pointed out the importance of conducting applied studies in the field of child development, especially in the development of risky children, their families, migrant and asylum-seeking children, starting from an early age, to develop national and local policies, to develop programs and strategies, and to guide students in these areas.
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer said, "I know that Üsküdar University and the Department of Child Development of the Faculty of Health Sciences support this issue and I believe that we will do good work."