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Babies go through a long process of development, in several factors and senses. They are all interconnected in some way, the five senses develop to help each of them to happen naturally. But within all of these, one of the most interesting that we can observe is the development of the baby’s touch.
The Importance of Touch
Touch has a very important function for the baby because it is linked not only to the baby’s tactile and motor development, but also to the emotional . This is because touch is directly linked to the affection that the baby feels.
The consequence of the stimulation of touch in the baby, therefore, does not happen only in the physical field, but also in the psychological one. Studies indicate that children who received more affection during the development of touch, have a greater growth of the hippocampus in the brain, an area linked to memory and learning. In other words, stimulating your child’s touch is more than essential and can have several benefits.
How Does Baby Touch Develop?
Touch is the first of the senses that develops in a person. It starts in the mother’s belly, around the seventh week of gestation and begins to develop there. Out of the belly, the development still goes through several stages to mature. We can separate these phases into:
- Intrauterine Life
- Newborn
- First months
- 6 to 8 months
- One year
Let’s talk more deeply about each of these stages of baby’s touch development and explain what happens in each of them.
Intrauterine Life
From the seventh week of gestation, the baby begins to feel the touch, initially in the contour of the mouth. Gradually, he feels the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet. By the twentieth week of gestation , he is already feeling his whole body, being able to grab and even suck his own finger.
In addition, from the 4th month of pregnancy, babies are already able to feel caresses coming from the outside of the belly, that is, it is already possible to caress and they usually respond to these stimuli.
Newborn
A newborn has extremely sensitive skin, some areas more and others less. The contact with other people is comforting for them, in addition to being essential for the creation of the bond, especially between mother and child.
It is also through touch that some baby’s reflexes are tested to prove that their neurological system is functioning properly.
First months
Between 2 and 3 months, babies like to be touched, whether for play or care, and they can also put various objects in their mouths. This is because the tongue is full of nerve endings and he can feel the texture of each object more clearly.
From the age of 4 months, babies begin to be able to reach out and pick up objects on their own, and from the age of 5 onwards, he can even lift some and master them with some ease.
From 6 to 8 Months
It is at this stage that babies tend to like toys with which he can interact . It is also at this stage that many begin to crawl or even crawl, since the muscles are more developed, and they also have a better sense of space.
One year
In this phase of the development of the baby’s touch, the mouth is no longer the main form of interaction of the baby with objects and he can already feel all kinds of texture with his hands and other parts of the body. At this age many babies are already able to walk and hold on to various things.
Baby Touch Benefits
Stimulation of touch generates a number of different benefits for the baby, also helping in the development of other areas of the body, both internal and external. The main benefits are:
- Establishing links
- Regulation of the hormonal system of babies
- Strengthening the immune system
- Stimulation of endorphin production
- Improves digestion
- Helps reduce a baby’s crying period
All of these benefits can be achieved with the right stimuli. But how to stimulate a baby’s touch?
How to Stimulate Baby’s Touch?
The stimulus of touch is basically everything that helps the baby to feel the parts of his body and the different textures that exist in the world. Caressing the baby, giving the right breastfeeding and the right baths, make the baby feel good, it is important to touch all parts of her body so that she can feel.
Stimulation with toys of different shapes and textures is also very important, as it allows the baby to feel different types of surfaces. Touch, like all other senses, is of enormous importance that helps the baby for the rest of his life.
That is why it is so important to know this information and to know how the baby’s touch develops, in addition to understanding what are the best ways to stimulate it. So you have one more item to ensure your baby grows healthy.
See also: Newborns and Their 5 Senses
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
