A New Beginning

Baby Senses

Getting to Know Your Baby

Babies are born with all of their senses: smell, hearing, sight, taste, and touch. Some of their senses are more developed than others at birth, especially smell and hearing. Other senses will develop gradually as the baby continues to grow.

A baby’s sense of smell is processed by the part of the brain that also controls memory. That may be why babies (and later adults) form strong connections between certain smells and the experiences attached to them. Most babies have a strong sense of smell at birth. The sense of smell continues to develop until around age 8 years old.

SMELL

During your pregnancy your baby may have kicked or jumped in response to loud noises, then settled down when you played soft, soothing music. That’s because a baby’s sense of hearing is fully developed before birth. Newborns seem to prefer a higher-pitched voice over a low-sounding voice. All newborns have a hearing screening before their hospital discharge. Newborns can only focus at a close range. They see best about 8-10 inches from their face. Newborns can detect light and dark but can’t see all colors. Babies can imitate other people’s facial expressions and movements. Over the first 4-5 years of life, a baby’s focus will usually improve to a normal, 20/20 vision. After birth, a baby’s taste buds are very sensitive. They can taste the difference between sweet and bitter. Babies prefer sweet, which is why they love the taste of breast milk. As babies grow, the number of taste buds in their mouth and reactions to different tastes increase. Different flavors in your breast milk can have a positive effect on your baby’s taste buds, making them more open to eating new foods as they get older. Stroking and cuddling your baby helps their skin release chemicals that promote growth and brain development. Babies are comforted by touch. Placing a hand on your baby’s belly or holding them closely also helps your baby feel more secure. Skin-to-skin contact (holding your diapered baby on your bare chest) helps a baby cry less and sleep more. Keep doing skin-to-skin contact as much as possible.

HEARING

SIGHT

TASTE

TOUCH

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Chapter 7: Getting to Know Your Baby