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Your baby’s 5 senses under the microscope
What babies see
Until recently, scientists and doctors believed that newborns were unable to see. This is wrong. Mothers have always known that they love to look at faces, even though sight is the last sense to achieve optimal functioning. Your newborn baby can see clearly up to a distance of about one foot. Beyond that, his sight is probably blurry. Sometimes he will have a hard time focusing both eyes on what he is looking at, but once he does he can watch it intently. It will even briefly stop moving. All his attention will be directed to the object. If he is very lively, he will sometimes even be able to follow a moving toy by moving his eyes, head, or both at the same time, whether the object is moved horizontally or vertically. The important thing is that the object is moved very slowly and intentionally. If he loses track of it after a few moments, regain his gaze and try even slower.
The object your baby will follow best is a simple pattern with the basic features of a human face: two large dots at the top for the eyes and one at the bottom for the mouth. Babies are able to do this within an hour of being born. Most of them have their eyes wide open and are very lively. Babies are drawn to anything that looks like a human face, even vaguely, when they are this young. Your baby will particularly show an interest in sharp contrasts: red and white stripes will likely capture his attention longer than green and blue ones. The brighter the color contrasts, the more interested he will be. Black and white bands are actually the ones that catch a baby’s attention the longest because they have the strongest contrast.
What babies hear
At birth, your new baby can already clearly distinguish several sounds. He recognizes your voice soon after birth. He may like music, the roar of an engine, and gentle beats. These are sounds that are already familiar to him. In his stomach, he was surrounded by the thudding, rustling, grunting, hissing and squealing of the heart, veins, stomach, lungs and intestines. He is also blessed with an innate interest in human voices, which he finds soothing.. Overall, babies are comfortable in environments similar to what they were used to in the womb. For example, a baby whose mother spent a lot of time in a noisy environment while pregnant might be quite taken aback by a room that was too quiet.
Your baby recognizes the difference between high pitched and low pitched voices. High pitched sounds will grab his attention faster. Your baby is also able to tell soft sounds from loud sounds, and she doesn’t like sudden loud noises Some babies get scared quickly, and if your baby does, it is important that you pay attention to them.
What babies smell
Your new baby is very sensitive to smells. He does not like harsh or pungent smells. They will make him react violently. He will try to turn away from the source of the smell and may also start to cry. Your baby can smell the smell of your body and milk differently from other mothers. If he is shown multiple clothes, he will turn to the one you have worn.
What babies perceive by taste
Babies can already distinguish several different flavors. They have a marked preference for what is sweet and will not like what is bitter or sour.. If something is bitter, he’ll spit it out as fast as he can.
What babies feel
Your baby can feel the temperature changes. He can feel the heat, which he puts to good use when looking for a nipple to put in his mouth, since the nipple is much hotter than the breast. He just points his mouth to the hottest spot. Your baby may also feel the cold. But if allowed to cool down, he will be unable to warm up on his own, because at this age he cannot shake to warm himself up and control his own body temperature. His parents must take his body temperature into account. For example, avoid long walks in the snow, even if it is very well protected, because it could catch a cold and show signs of hypothermia. If your baby shows any sign of distress, hurry and get him back inside where it is warm.
Your baby is extremely sensitive to touch. Generally, he loves the contact of the skin, whether it is delicate or firm. Find out what your baby prefers. He will also appreciate a body massage in a warm room. Physical contact is quite simply the best comfort and the best fun for him. Try to figure out what kind of contact makes your baby fall asleep and which makes him more lively, since you could put this knowledge to good use during difficult times.