Babies are born with all senses, but they vary in strength. Their sense of smell is the strongest and will continue to get stronger for the first 8 years of their life. It’s also an essential sense to help them feel comforted and promote the development of their other senses, especially taste and vision. For babies, their sense of smell begins to develop before they’re even born. Nostrils form in the first trimester, and scent receptors form in the second trimester. In the womb, the baby breathes in their mother’s amniotic fluid, which helps them to become familiar with scent—specifically, their mother’s scent.

Source: Pathways