Development of senses

Around 7-8 weeks of gestation:

• Baby is sensitive to touch in the area around the mouth.
• Taste receptors on the tongue are formed.

Around 12-14 weeks of gestation:

• Baby can put his or her thumb into the mouth for sucking.
• Baby’s hands open.

Around 20 weeks of gestation:

• Hearing structures develop.

Around 24 weeks of gestation:

• Baby is sensitive to touch all over the body, especially around the mouth. Touching the inside of the hand triggers a grasp reflex.
• Baby can detect different flavours in the amniotic fluid due to maternal diet, which may influence taste preferences later in life.

Around 26-27 weeks of gestation:

• Baby reacts to bitter taste.
• Baby starts to move in response to sounds.

Around 28-29 weeks of gestation:

• Baby grasps with his/her toes when someone touches the ball of the foot.
• Baby distinguishes sweet and sour tastes.
• Baby is able to distinguish between voices and is most aware of low frequency sounds. Sleep can be easily disturbed.
• Only little or no pupillary constriction. The eyelids are thin and eyes may be partly open much of the time.

Around 32 weeks of gestation:

• Baby recognises the mother’s voice.
• Pupils constrict in response to light and may therefore protect the eye from bright light.

Around 34 weeks of gestation:

• Baby prefers sweet tastes.
• Baby may recognise familiar sounds and begins to ignore some sounds that previously disturbed sleep.
• Baby starts to look at and follow a moving object or face but does not recognise objects yet. Low light is optimal for interactions.

Around 35-40 weeks of gestation:

• Baby begins to recognise mother’s voice, language and speech pattern.
• At 39 to 40 weeks of gestation baby can fix and follow moving object in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal direction and sees greyscales. After 40 weeks of gestation vision develops fast.