When you get to hold your baby for the first time it will be a magical moment. You will count the tiny fingers and toes. Rub your hand over the soft tufts of hair and gaze into his or her eyes. From the moment of birth, newborns have amazing abilities. They can see, hear, smell, taste and feel.
- Sight – baby will blink at bright lights and follow a moving target. They can focus on objects about 8 inches away but will fully develop their eyesight by age 2.
- Hearing – baby has been able to hear your voice as a fetus at 5 months. Baby can locate the source of a sound, discriminate between mother’s voice and others.
- Smell – baby can discriminate between mother’s breast.
- Taste – baby can tell the difference between salty and sweet (they prefer sweet).
- Touch – Newborns respond to touch, especially on the hands and mouth.