Counsellor and Director of Creative Minds Academy, Alberta Mensah, has urged mothers to pay closer attention to their children's emotional and developmental needs during infancy, warning that experiences in a child's first year can have long-lasting effects later in life.

Drawing from lessons she learned before becoming a mother, she encouraged women to educate themselves about pregnancy, childbirth, and child development, noting that knowledge can significantly influence parenting decisions.

"Please read and learn before you give birth because if you know, it is better for you," she advised during the second edition of Convergence of Mothers, organised by media personality MzGee.

Mensah revealed that while living in the United Kingdom before the birth of her first child, she was provided with extensive parenting literature by healthcare professionals.

The information, she said, helped her understand the connection between a mother's emotional state and her child's well-being.

As a result, she became intentional about protecting her mental and emotional health throughout pregnancy and after childbirth.

"I knew the effect of being sad and bottling things up when I was pregnant and after giving birth," she said.

According to Mrs Mensah, many parents underestimate how rapidly a child's brain develops during the earliest stages of life.

"The brain develops very fast at that age," she said.

She explained that a significant portion of a child's brain development occurs before birth and continues at a remarkable pace throughout the first year of life, making infancy one of the most critical periods for emotional nurturing and cognitive growth.

Because of this, she cautioned against neglecting a baby's emotional needs, stressing that consistent care, affection, and responsiveness are essential.

"If the child is crying and you just leave the child, the effects may worry you in the future," she warned.

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