Your Baby’s Senses: All Systems Go
Newborns can see at birth, and their senses of taste, smell, and hearing are likewise in working order. In fact, a baby’s sense of smell is much more acute than an adult’s, and some infant behavior is directed by smell. But of all the senses, touch is the most responsive at the very dawn of life. Following is a rundown of a newborn’s sensory world.
Sight
Newborns can focus within a close range of eight inches or so the exact distance between the mother’s and infant’s faces during nursing. Babies like bright colors and patterns that are high in contrast, but most of all they love looking at faces especially their parents’ faces. In a month or so, the baby will be able to follow moving objects with his eyes and recognize your face. In addition, the baby may sometimes seem to imitate your facial expressions. Most of these expressions, however, are random; the so-called social smile that indicates conscious give-and-take between infant and parent does not appear until around the third month of life.
Give your baby something to look at, such as a mobile mounted over the crib or a colorful or bold pattern hung safely nearby. The eyes may not seem to follow a single line of sight (and, sometimes, they appear to be crossed), but proper eye coordination usually develops within the first few months.
Hearing
There’s a good reason for the age-old tradition of singing lullabies: Babies respond to comforting voices, especially those of their parents. Babies at one week of age recognize and turn toward their mothers’ voices. They also like soothing, rhythmic sounds, including some unlikely ones such as the motor of a car. Babies are startled when they hear loud noises, although they may be able to sleep peacefully through the normal hubbub of a busy household, at least in the early weeks.
If your baby doesn’t seem to respond to sound, tell the doctor promptly. Any condition that muffles hearing, even at this stage, could cut out valuable input that will some day help the baby learn to talk.
Taste And Smell
Infants have an acute sense of smell. They probably recognize the unique odors of their mothers’ breast milk. They also prefer sweet flavors to salty ones. However, babies’ preferences may not always conform to adult tastes. In a study of breast-fed babies, those whose mothers ate garlic (and thus produced garlic-scented breast milk) nursed more than those whose mothers lacked this strong smell!
Touch
Babies respond to cuddling, stroking, warmth, and gentle movement. Babies differ greatly, however, in their responses to other tactile experiences. While one baby may enjoy a bath or dramatic up-and-down motions, another may find them frightening. Most babies do seem to appreciate being wrapped tightly, or “swaddled,” It is often possible to soothe a fussy baby by gently touching his face and back.