When you tap bridge of the nose, or shine a bright light suddenly into the eyes, clap hands or make sudden noise, about eighteen inches from infant's head. Then, your baby will close eyes tightly. Head will drop backward, neck will extend, arm and legs will fling outward and back sharply.
First, we should understand that crying is a language of a newborn baby. Crying is really his first social communication. It is not terribly sophisticated but it is useful.
One day during your baby's first two months, you will gaze into the crib and see a face that suddenly bursts into a bright smile. Maybe the baby will 'smile' all over, legs kicking and arms waving like a windmill, wiggling body and head. Your baby, now living up to the legend of a bundle of joy, may even punctuate the smiles with a few gurgles and coos.
Of all the newborn's sensory perceptions, touch is the most highly developed. It's so natural to cuddle and fondle a baby that the paramount importance of the sense of touch may not occur to you. But the damaging effects of touch deprivation have been thoroughly documented in behavioral and clinical research.
When in womb, fetuses swallow amniotic fluid and this happens as early as 12 weeks. If swallowing begins long before birth then the taste preference too should begin quite early. Now the real question is what is the taste of amniotic fluid that the fetus swallows? The amniotic fluid takes that taste and flavor of whatever the mother had last eaten.
It is amazing that after a week to ten days, a baby can recognize the smell of mother's milk. He will turn toward his mother's nursing pad and will avoid nursing pads of other nursing mothers. Isn't this amazing, yes, they have special affinity toward mothers and they do exhibit it in various subtle ways.
