How does a baby's sense of taste develop? Seize the 'sensitive period of taste', the baby can be healthier

Studies have found that the number of taste buds in animals is between 10,000 and 40,000, and the number of infants is more than 10,000, while that of adults is only 9,000 .

This shows that people's sense of taste is an innate ability, and to everyone's surprise, the ability to taste in babies is stronger than that in adults.

When did people's sense of taste begin?

When pregnant women are three months pregnant, the fetus has the first taste ability . At this time, they can already feel the taste of the food that the mother eats, and they also know the taste of the amniotic fluid in their lives.

At 4 months, the taste buds of the fetus have already developed . At 8 months, their taste system has basically been perfected. It is not difficult to see that our taste ability develops very early, which is beyond everyone's imagination.

Scientists have done experiments to add saccharin to the amniotic fluid of pregnant mothers and found that the fetus is inhaling amniotic fluid at twice the normal rate.

And when a bad-tasting oil was injected into the mother's womb , the fetus immediately stopped inhaling the amniotic fluid and began to move around in the abdomen, in apparent protest.

So sometimes pregnant women feel that the fetal movement is obvious , maybe just because the fetus is not satisfied with the food they eat , so they will use their own way to vent with the mother.

Baby's taste development process after birth

In the first month after the baby is born, because they are not adapted to the external environment, they are in the practice period of adaptation, and they have already had a clear ability to distinguish various flavors.

4-month-old babies will be more picky about the taste of food, and they have a soft spot for sweets at this time .

The 6-month-old baby has started to add complementary food , so the mother should take this opportunity to train them on taste , so that the baby can avoid the phenomenon of picky eaters.

0~12 months baby's taste development indicators

1 month: The taste of the newborn baby has developed quite a bit in the womb, but there are gender differences in the taste of the baby of different genders in the first few days of birth, and the baby girl prefers sweet taste.

Babies can recognize the smell of breast milk after a week, when they are disgusted by the pungent taste.

2 months: At this time, the baby has been able to distinguish between sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy smells, and still maintains a rejection of his own sexual taste.

At this time, parents can let them smell more scents, so that the baby's taste range can be wider.

3 months: The sense of smell continues to develop and can distinguish different smells. At this time, each baby will have his own favorite smell and dislike smell. He will be very happy when he encounters the smell he likes, but he will avoid the smell he does not like.

4-5 months: At this time, the baby enters the oral stage, so they often put small hands, feet or other toys in their mouths to try the smell of other items besides food.

All parents need to do is watch their babies to see if they are drooling or how they react to smells they don't like.

6-9 months: After the baby is 6 months old, their sense of taste will enter a period of rapid development, which means that their sense of taste reaches a peak, but gradually their ability to taste will decline.

9-12 months: At this time, the baby's taste will show obvious preferences, especially sweet and salty foods.

How should parents train their baby's sense of taste?

1. Add complementary food in time

Since the taste of complementary food is different , it can make the baby feel other than breast milk.

Introducing complementary foods to babies in a timely manner can help them better adapt to various tastes, which is very helpful for the development of baby's sense of taste.

2. Eat more fruits

Although most of the fruits are sweet, there will be some differences in taste more or less. Let your baby try fruits with different flavors and know the sweet and sour taste, which can also make their taste development better.

How should parents protect their baby's sense of taste?

1. Don’t add salt to your baby’s food too early

Since the baby's kidney organs are not yet fully developed , the baby should not eat salt too early, otherwise it will increase the burden on their kidneys.

Generally , salt can be properly added to food after the baby is one year old , but parents must pay attention to controlling the amount.

Because the baby's demand for salt intake is very low at this time , parents should try to ensure that the baby's diet is light, and do not feed the baby to eat adult food too early.

2. Control your baby's intake of sugar

Babies’ love for sugar can be said to be innate. Although babies after one year old can eat some sweets properly , parents should try their best to control their sugar intake.

Because sweets will not only cause the baby to have dental caries, but also make their body fat, which is very detrimental to the baby's health.

In addition, too many sweets will also affect the baby's brain development, making them more and more stupid.

3. Stay away from heavy food

Nowadays, many baby's nutrient solutions are sweet and sour, so the baby loves to drink it. However, although these nutrient solutions are known to be good for the baby's health, they are harmful to the baby's future.

Even if it is a nutritional product, parents should try to give it to the baby as much as possible , because it is a heavy-tasting food after all, and the baby's diet should still be as light as possible.