Sensory Development in Babies

The first 12 months of your baby’s life are full of sensory experiences.  Different smells, sounds, tastes, sights and things to touch are all part of exciting exploration that babies do.  At birth, your baby’s hearing and smell are very strong.  Sight and taste are limited at birth and will continue to develop as your baby grows.  Touch is a very developed sense when babies are born, starting when they are still in utero.  The five senses develop faster in the first 12 months of life than any other time.

There are many ways for parents and caregivers to help enhance their baby’s sensory development. Any activity that you do with your baby while they are young are great ways to introduce the senses.  Listening to soft music, having them face a mirror, when they are old enough introducing new flavors of baby food, feeling different textures using hand over hand techniques are all great ways to introduce their new senses to them.

It is important to keep track of the sensory milestones and development. You can do that by using the CDC’s milestone tracker. Download the app to start tracking your little ones milestones! Go  Share any concerns with your pediatrician or health care provider.

Check out the link for more information regarding sensory development in the first months: The Simple Guide to Sensory Development in Children.

The 5 senses: touch, smell, hearing, taste, sight