Why is it important to stimulate a babys senses

The sensitivity and education of our infant and toddler caregivers promotes positive and healthy development for your young children. Free hot meals, free PM transportation, after school care until 7pm, and we even have the option for Saturday and night care at our Curry Ford location. With two locations in Orlando, there is a convenient location for you and your child. If you have any questions about our programs, including: infant care , childcare, voluntary prekindergarten VPK , or after school programs, give us a call at Open Mon.

Toggle navigation MENU. In the next few months, your baby should be responding to more and more sights and sounds. Talk to your doctor if your baby doesn't seem to:. Also speak to your doctor if your baby's eyes seem very sensitive to light or tear up often. An eye exam may be necessary if you have a family history of eye diseases or vision problems.

You'll also want to discuss with your doctor any concerns you have about your baby's hearing. Warning signs of hearing problems to look for include:. When caught early, many vision and hearing problems can be treated successfully, so be sure to report any concerns you have to your doctor immediately. Reviewed by: KidsHealth Medical Experts. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Can My Baby See? Help improve your baby's sight skills with these tips: If your baby has been looking at the same toys or crib mobile for several months, now is a good time to change the scenery.

By this age, most babies start to pull themselves up to a sitting position, so if you have a mobile over the crib or wall hangings within reach, remove them so your baby doesn't get hurt. He sees mostly shapes and shades —whether something is big, small, bright, or dark, says Dr.

And by the time he's walking and crawling, between 8 and 12 months, he'll be able to use his depth perception to judge distances as he explores. What you can do: Decorate the nursery in bright colors and bold patterns. Change the position of your baby's bassinet and feed him on both sides to help get him used to seeing from different angles.

You can also put your face in your baby's line of sight, and then talk or smile; that allows him to focus on your face and watch your movements. Start playing games like pat-a-cake and peekaboo at about 4 months to help his hand-eye coordination. You can also give him opportunities to take in a variety of sights—try the park, the zoo, or a walk through the neighborhood. When something catches his eye, give him time to inspect it thoroughly.

A baby's hearing starts to develop while she's still in the womb, so your child will be familiar with your voice when she's born, says Peter Jung, M. She may startle when a door slams because newborns are sensitive to changes in sound. But once she's asleep don't be surprised if she snoozes through even the loudest noises, says pediatrician Laura Jana, M.

At first, your infant will be easily distracted by background noise. By around 6 months, she may mimic specific sounds you make.

What you can do: Talking, reading, and singing to your baby helps build her personality, encourages language development, and promotes bonding, says Dr. Try using a singsong-y voice to get her attuned to the different tones and patterns in speech, recommends Stephen J. Marquis, M.

You can also let her enjoy the sounds of daily life and describe to her what she's hearing. For babies who have trouble getting to sleep, turn on a white-noise machine; it's soothing because it replicates the low, steady sounds of the womb. A study published in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging concluded that sensory stimulation, along with memory stimulation, improved communication.

A article published in the journal BMJ concluded that aromatherapy smell and bright light therapy sight are safe and effective ways to address psychiatric and behavioral issues for older adults with dementia. Some of the issues mentioned in the study included:. According to a study , sensory stimulation through visual, tactile, gustatory, auditory, and olfactory activities can enhance the lives of low-functioning developmentally disabled adults by giving them more opportunities to use their senses and communication skills.

Sensory stimulation can also improve the well-being of older adults with or without neurocognitive disorders by calling up positive memories, reinforcing relationships with loved ones, and reducing anxiety and depression.

Sensory stimulation is the response to input from our environment by one or more of our five senses:. Sensory stimulation is very important for the development of infants and can be used effectively to improve the well-being of developmentally disabled adults, people with neurocognitive disorders, and older adults. Sensory issues in children refer to difficulties processing input from the senses and more.

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