How does a babys taste buds develop before 6 months of age?

Taste will gradually develop and natural curiosity will help children explore the great and vast world around them. Even before starting solids, taste buds develop to help your baby know if he likes or dislikes foods or flavors.

Babies have been able to taste smells and flavors from the womb. The amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb is always influenced by the foods the mother eats. So when swallowing this liquid, your baby has been exposed to different flavors. In fact, many studies have shown that babies may like the flavors they are exposed to just before birth.

Taste and smell are linked, so at this point, your baby's sense of smell also develops. Your baby can smell food, and even notice the difference between a mother's milk and another mother's milk.

Milestones for children's taste development

During the first 6 months, your baby can:

There are more taste buds in the mouth than adults;

Distinguish between sweet and bitter taste;

Enjoys sweetness, like breast milk, and can be intimidating when tasting anything bitter or sour.

Your baby may be able to:

Use your tongue to differentiate different food textures and flavors.

Likes salty taste. You should not give your baby a lot of salt at this stage as this will not be good for your baby's health.

What should you do to help your baby develop taste?

There are many factors that can affect a baby's taste buds, a few of which are hereditary. Babies will tend to like foods they come into contact with in their wombs and foods they are familiar with. If you feed your baby a variety of foods, he or she will be able to continue the same eating habits as they grow up.

Your baby will also imitate you and your responses to food. So, show a positive attitude towards the healthy foods you are trying to encourage your baby to eat.

As your baby grows up eating a variety of foods, it may also depend on how long you feed your baby. Studies have shown that different flavors in breast milk can positively affect a baby's taste buds and make them more open to eating a variety of foods as they grow up.

Best of all, if you let your baby try a variety of foods with different flavors, he may be able to eat all of these foods easily in the future. The reason for this phenomenon is because babies tend to like foods that they were familiar with as a child.

When giving your baby solids for the first time, choose a pureed fruit or vegetable. Then gradually introduce new flavors to your baby.

Let your baby explore food according to his or her own progress. The first tasting may just be tongue exploration, and then the baby will spit the food out. You should encourage and support your baby to get used to the different flavors and feel confident in trying new foods.

Avoid processed foods and don't add salt or sugar to baby foods. Your baby's kidneys are still very immature, so they can't absorb too much salt and sugar can cause tooth decay for your baby. 

Things you need to note

Children use their mouth as a way to explore, learn and understand the world around them. However, be aware that your baby is likely to suck and swallow anything. Always observe your baby very carefully so that he does not put inappropriate, sharp, dirty or dangerous objects in his mouth. You can help your baby learn by giving your baby fun and age-appropriate toys for oral exploration. Toys made of different materials or interesting colors, flashing lights or making sounds may be appropriate for your baby.