Baby hearing, smell, taste and touch

Hearing
 

• Your baby has been able to hear since he was in the womb – so he’s already familiar with your voice and household noises at birth.
• He will startle at a loud noise.
• He will calm at the sound of a soft, soothing noise.
• Your baby will respond best to high-pitched voices and highly animated faces – hence the ‘baby talk’
• Your baby can hear you speak but cannot understand what you are saying.

Smell and taste
 

• At birth, your baby has well developed sense of smell and taste.
• He recognises the smell and taste of his milk, and may reject it if the taste or the smell changes.
• Your baby’s taste buds that differentiate between salty, sweet, sour and bitter are developed at birth.

Touch
 

• Your baby is born being sensitive to touch.
• He can feel pain.
• Your baby will feel loved and secure, through your gentle, caring touch.
• You can learn to connect and bond with your baby through baby massage.

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This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include SA Government’s Parenting and Child Health and Raising Children Network.