Your newborn knows you by scent and sound

During the early weeks of life, babies use their sense of hearing and smell to identify the people closest to them. Because your baby’s eyesight is still developing, it may take a little longer for them to recognise your face. 

How and when recognition starts

Knowing you by sound Babies know their biological mother’s voice even before birth. Once they are born, any primary caregiver’s voice becomes quickly recognisable. Your baby’s language learning begins with recognising voices. Hearing a familiar voice (even in a recording) activates their brain’s speech-processing centre. 

Knowing you by smell Just as with sound, a baby’s sense of smell gets a head start in the womb. They began to smell (and taste) their mother’s amniotic fluid in utero. After birth, it only takes a few days before they can tell—and begin to prefer—their primary caregiver’s scent. 

Knowing you by sight It takes at least a few weeks and maybe up to 2 months for a baby to discern their primary caregiver by sight. Right now, they can only see 20 to 30 centimeters away from their face, so bring them close ❤️  Your baby’s ability to recognise people by sight will improve as they get older. Some studies even suggest that 6-month-olds are much better at picking out individual faces from a crowd than adults are!