Your Newborn’s Amazing Senses: Sight, Hearing and More

When you hold your newborn for the first time, you are meeting a tiny person whose senses are already hard at work. Babies arrive ready to connect, but their sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch are still developing. Understanding how these senses grow can help you bond with your baby and support their early learning.

Sight: The blurry beginnings

Newborns can see, but their world is soft and blurry at first. They see best about 20 to 30 centimetres away, which is the perfect distance for gazing at your face while feeding. High-contrast colours like black and white or bold patterns are easiest for them to focus on. Over the first few months, their vision sharpens, colours become clearer, and they begin to track moving objects with their eyes.

Hearing: Tuned in from the start

Your baby has been hearing your voice since before birth and they already recognise it. Newborns prefer high-pitched, sing-song tones (often called “parentese”) because these sounds stand out. Hearing is closely linked to language development, so talking, singing, and reading to your baby are powerful ways to nurture their growing brain.

Smell and taste: Familiar comforts

A newborn’s sense of smell is strong right away. They can recognise the scent of their mother within days and are comforted by it. Taste buds are also working from birth, with a natural preference for sweet flavours. This may explain why breastmilk is especially appealing.

Touch: The first language

Touch is the most developed sense at birth. Gentle cuddles, skin-to-skin contact, and soothing strokes communicate safety and love long before words can. Through touch, babies begin to regulate their emotions and feel secure in the world.

The takeaway:

Your newborn may be small, but their senses are already busy building connections, comfort, and learning. By holding, talking, and responding to them, you are not only meeting their needs but also helping their brain and body grow in remarkable ways.