Media representations of early human development: Protecting, feeding and loving the developing brain

► Thematic analysis of media representations of early brain development. ► Identified three themes: 'protecting the prenatal brain', 'feeding the infant brain' and 'loving the young child's brain'. ► Media coverage stressed the developmental importance of parenting, overlooking genetic and wider environmental influences. ► Representing early life as neurobiologically critical amplified the urgency of performing the 'correct' type of parenting. ► Neurodevelopmental research was used to support normative judgements on certain gender roles and family contexts.