At what point does a headache become cause for concern? How rapidly and when does your child’s brain develop? The brain is a complex organ, and sometimes, it produces almost as many questions and it does thoughts (which is about 70,000 per day). To celebrate Brain Awareness Week, take this fun quiz to see how much you know about the brain:

1. True or False- If kids and teens have headaches, they should automatically be referred to a specialist.
2. True or False- A newborn’s brain is smaller than an adult’s brain.
3. True or False- The most active time for brain development is during puberty, when adolescents are rapidly growing and changing.
4. True or False- The brain is the most complex organ in the human body.

1. False- Headaches can occur for a number of reasons and are usually not a sign of a serious medical condition. Before seeking a referral to a neurologist from your pediatrician, first try:
   • Getting enough sleep
   • Drinking plenty of water
   • Eating regular, well-balanced meals
   • Exercising regularly
   • Stress relieving methods such as yoga or meditation
2. True- At birth, a baby’s brain is one-quarter of the size of their mom or dad’s brain. It will double in size by their first birthday, and eventually weigh three pounds when it’s full grown.
3. False- The period between birth and two years old is a very active time for brain development. Until puberty, brain development will use up almost half of the body’s daily energy intake. However, brains won’t fully develop until closer to age 25.
4. True- The brain powers the nervous system, which affects and is affected by all the other systems in your body (cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and immune systems). It has 100 billion neurons- cells known as the gray matter which process information.

Learn more about the CHOC Neuroscience Institute, where pediatric specialists are providing expert care at the only pediatric neuroscience hospital in the region.

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