Babies go through a long developmental process in various areas and senses. All of these are somehow interconnected; the five senses develop to help each come about naturally. But among all of them, one of the most interesting that we can observe is the development of a baby’s sense of touch.

The Importance of Touch

Touch plays a very important role for babies, as it is not only connected to the baby’s tactile and motor development, but also to emotional development. That’s because touch is directly linked to the affection that the baby feels. As a result, stimulating touch in a baby affects not only the physical, but also the psychological sphere. Studies show that children who received more affection during their tactile development present greater growth of the hippocampus in the brain—an area related to memory and learning. In other words, stimulating your child’s sense of touch is more than essential and can bring multiple benefits.

How Does the Development of Touch Occur in Babies?

Touch is the first of the senses to develop in a person. It begins while still inside the mother’s womb, around the seventh week of pregnancy, and starts to develop there. Once outside the womb, development still passes through different stages in order to mature. We can separate these stages into:

  • Intrauterine Life
  • Newborn
  • First Months
  • 6 to 8 months
  • One year

We will look more closely at each of these stages of a baby’s touch development and explain what happens at each one.

Intrauterine Life

Starting from the seventh week of pregnancy, the baby begins to feel touch, initially around the mouth. Gradually, they begin to feel the palms of their hands and soles of their feet. By the twentieth week of pregnancy, the baby can already feel their entire body, and is capable of grasping and even sucking their own thumb. In addition, from the 4th month of pregnancy, babies are already able to feel caresses coming from outside the womb, meaning you can already caress them and they often respond to these stimuli.

Newborn

A newborn’s skin is extremely sensitive—some areas more so than others. Contact with other people is comforting for them, besides being fundamental for bonding, especially between mother and child. It is also through touch that some of the baby’s reflexes are tested to ensure that their neurological system is working correctly.

First Months

Between 2 and 3 months old, babies enjoy being touched, whether during play or care, and they may also put several objects in their mouths. This happens because the tongue is full of nerve endings and they can feel the texture of each object more clearly. From 4 months old, babies start to be able to stretch out their arms and grab objects on their own, and from 5 months, they can even lift and handle some of them with some ease.

6 to 8 Months

During this phase, babies usually like toys they can interact with. It’s also during this period that many start to crawl or even creep, since their muscles are more developed, and they also have a better sense of space.

One Year

At this stage of touch development, the mouth is no longer the main way babies interact with objects and they can feel all kinds of textures with their hands and other body parts. By this age, many babies can already walk and hold on to various things.

Benefits of Touch for Babies

Stimulating touch results in a number of different benefits for babies, also helping in the development of other areas of the body, both internal and external. The main benefits are:

  • Establishing bonds
  • Regulating the baby’s hormonal system
  • Strengthening the immune system
  • Stimulating endorphin production
  • Improving digestion
  • Helping reduce crying spells in babies

All these benefits can be achieved with the right stimulation. But how do you stimulate a baby’s sense of touch?

How to Stimulate a Baby’s Sense of Touch?

Tactile stimulation is basically anything that helps a baby feel different parts of their body and the various textures in the world. Caressing the baby, providing proper breastfeeding, and proper baths help the baby feel good; it’s important to touch all parts of their body so they can feel them. Stimulation with toys of different shapes and textures is also very important, since it allows the baby to feel different kinds of surfaces. Touch, like all the other senses, is hugely important and helps the baby throughout their entire life. That’s why it’s so important to know this information and to understand how the baby’s sense of touch develops, as well as what are the best ways to stimulate it. This way you have one more tool to help ensure your baby grows up healthy. See also: Newborns and Their 5 Senses Photo: szymonpacek