Developing your baby's senses: Taste

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Dr. Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.
Taste is the means by which babies get acquainted with the world around them. When starting solids, babies use their mouths to try foods, even objects in the house. So how will children develop taste?

1. When to develop taste in babies?

A baby's taste buds begin to develop while in the womb. At 9 weeks pregnant, your baby's mouth and tongue have formed along with the first taste buds.
As a fetus, babies begin to perceive salty, sweet, spicy, and bitter flavors through the amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is created from the mother's body, through the process of metabolizing and transporting food in the blood.
After birth, your baby's taste buds continue to develop. Babies can perceive sour and sweet flavors but prefer sweet flavors. This explains why babies like the taste of breast milk.
Taste and smell are linked together and continue to develop once your baby is born. Babies can smell milk, even the difference between breast milk and other mothers.

2. How does a newborn's taste buds continue to develop?

The sense of taste is very well developed when a baby is born and will become more and more perfect as he gets older.

2.1. From birth to 3 months old

At this stage, babies' taste buds are very sensitive. In fact, young children have a wider distribution of taste buds than adults. In infants, taste buds can be found on the tonsils, the back of the throat, and the tongue.
During the first three months of life, babies can distinguish between sweet and bitter tastes. Babies love sweetness, especially the taste of breast milk.

2.2. Stage 3 to 6 months old

By 3 months of age, your baby's tongue has developed. Parents may observe that babies begin to use their tongues to suck on toys or pillows. This confirms the child's curiosity in sensing smells from the surrounding objects.
When the baby is 5 months old, the taste buds develop more, the baby begins to respond more clearly to the salty taste. However, parents should not let their children eat salty foods at this stage.

2.3. Stage 6 to 12 months old

After 6 months of age, babies begin to be introduced to solid foods. Children may immediately like some foods and reject others. The advice for parents is to feed the child at least 8 times before deciding that the child does not like the food.
At around 7 or 8 months old, babies begin to taste foods with their hands. This is an opportunity for mothers to let their babies try new flavors from soft fruits and vegetables.

3. Does the child inherit food preferences from the family?

Your baby's food preferences are influenced by all sorts of factors, some of which are genetic.
Babies have the ability to eat and like a wide variety of foods, regardless of the foods that mothers often eat during pregnancy or new foods. Therefore, you should give your child a variety of foods to try.
Baby easily imitates mothers' reactions to foods. Therefore, mothers should hide their feelings for some disliked foods when feeding their babies, especially healthy foods.
The duration of breastfeeding also affects a child's dietary diversity as he grows up. Studies have shown that different flavors present in breast milk have a positive effect on babies' taste buds, helping them to be more open to other foods as they get older.

4. How to help children eat more varied?

Children tend to like foods they were used to when they were young. Therefore, at this stage, the family should let the baby try a variety of foods with different tastes. For the first time, you should choose pureed fruits or vegetables. Then, gradually introduce new foods to the child.
Newborns don't always have to eat bland foods. If the family wants a change of taste, find and watch videos that show how to prepare more "adventurous" dishes for children in the allowed category.
A child's rate of perception of food may differ from that of an adult. Therefore, let your baby slowly get used to the food. At first, for some flavors, the child may taste and then spit it out, but with the encouragement of the family, the child will gradually get used to and try different foods as he gets older.
Families should not put salt and sugar in their children's food. Because at this time, the kidneys are not ready to filter foods containing these 2 spices. In addition, foods containing salt and sugar also reduce children's appetite for healthier foods.

5. Why do children always try to put things in their mouths?

Babies use their mouths as a way to explore, learn and make sense of the world around them.
In infants, the mouth is more sensitive than the hands or fingers. It is a convenient way to recognize different tastes, both food and non-food. That is why families often see young children picking up toys, books and other objects and immediately putting them in their mouths.
Families can get nervous thinking that the baby will put anything in his mouth. However, in reality, babies usually don't try to touch sharp, dirty, or dangerous objects.
Families can satisfy their child's need to explore by providing toys that are fun and appropriate for the child's age. The ideal toy should have different textures or interesting colors, lights or sounds. At 12 to 18 months of age, babies use their mouths less often to explore and recognize objects.
Children develop their taste buds very quickly to explore the world around them. Parents can let their children move freely, prepare a variety of dishes to develop their taste buds. However, mothers need to pay attention to avoid letting children get close to areas with electrical outlets, sharp objects, hot water thermos, etc. to ensure absolute safety for children.
In addition, in order to prevent diseases that young children often get, parents should pay attention to nutrition to improve children's resistance. At the same time, add supporting foods containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, B vitamins,... snacks and less digestive problems.
Parents can learn more:
Why do you need to supplement Lysine for your baby?
The role of zinc - Guidelines for reasonable zinc supplementation
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Reference source: babycenter.com