Touch: Your Baby’s First Sense
Touch is the very first sense to form in the womb. Long before babies can clearly see or hear, they are already able to feel. This makes touch their earliest pathway to understanding and engaging with the world around them.
As an occupational therapist and infant massage instructor, I often share with parents that touch isn’t “just nice to have.” It’s foundational to development, shaping how babies grow, regulate, and connect with the people around them.
Touch Begins Before Birth
Research shows that touch receptors begin developing as early as eight weeks’ gestation, first around the lips and nose, and gradually spreading across the body. By the second trimester, babies can already respond to gentle pressure within the womb.
This early sensitivity means that touch is the first sense babies rely on to explore their environment. Even before they can see clearly or process sound, they are already gathering information through physical sensation - the pressure of the uterine wall, the movement of amniotic fluid, and eventually the rhythm of a parent’s hand resting on a growing belly.
Why Touch Matters After Birth
Once babies are born, touch continues to play a central role. While vision and hearing develop quickly in the first year, touch is immediately reliable. It becomes the way babies know they are safe, loved, and cared for.
Through nurturing contact - skin-to-skin, cuddles, or baby massage - touch promotes:
Security: A gentle hand reassures a baby’s nervous system, helping them feel safe.
Calm: Touch supports regulation, lowering stress hormones and promoting relaxation.
Bonding: Consistent, positive touch builds trust between caregiver and child.
Learning: Babies use touch to explore, grasp, and eventually manipulate objects - the foundation of fine motor and sensory development.
Touch as a Baby’s First Language
Think of touch as your baby’s first language. Before words, before gestures, they communicate and receive comfort through physical contact. A cuddle after a feed, a hand on the chest to settle, or the gentle rhythm of massage - each of these moments tells your baby: you are safe, you are seen, you are loved.
This early “conversation” through touch doesn’t just feel good; it shapes the brain. Touch stimulates areas responsible for social-emotional growth, attachment, and regulation. Over time, these early experiences lay the groundwork for resilience, emotional regulation, and healthy relationships.
The Science Meets Everyday Parenting
As parents, it’s powerful to know that something as natural as holding your baby close has such deep impact. Occupational therapists often talk about sensory input - the information the body gathers to feel organised and balanced. Touch is one of the most regulating forms of sensory input.
This is why skin-to-skin is recommended in those first hours after birth, why babies calm when held, and why massage can be so beneficial for sleep and digestion. You don’t need specialised equipment or techniques to give your baby what they need - your presence and touch are already enough.
Practical Ways to Nurture Through Touch
Here are a few simple ways you can support your baby’s development through touch:
Skin-to-skin: Hold your baby against your bare chest after birth and in the early weeks. This helps regulate their temperature, heart rate, and breathing.
Gentle holding: Carrying your baby close, whether in your arms or a baby carrier, provides continuous reassurance.
Cuddles and closeness: Responding with warmth when your baby seeks comfort strengthens their sense of security.
Baby massage: Using simple massage routines a part of your day-to-day can support relaxation, digestion, and bonding.
Lifelong Benefits
Touch in the early years has ripple effects far beyond infancy. Babies who receive consistent nurturing contact often show:
Greater emotional resilience
Lower stress responses
Stronger attachment with caregivers
Positive social skills later in life
In short, touch shapes not only how babies grow physically but how they connect emotionally - with parents, with others, and with the world.
Touch is the very first sense your baby develops, and it remains one of the most powerful ways you can support their growth. Every cuddle, every gentle hand, every massage stroke is more than just comfort - it’s communication, regulation, and connection.
As parents, knowing the science behind touch can deepen your confidence in what your instincts already tell you: holding your baby close truly matters. Touch is your baby’s first language, and through it, you’re giving them the building blocks of security, calm, and lifelong connection.