Babies taste development

A child’s first taste buds appear on his brand-new tongue when he’s still in the womb. There, he swallows amniotic fluid, which is continually flavored by what mom eats and drinks.

A newborn can taste sweet, sour, bitter and savory, but not salty (that develops when he’s around 4 months old). He prefers sweet, which may be biology’s way of ensuring nourishment by attracting him to breastmilk. Like amniotic fluid, breastmilk is also continually flavored by what mom eats and drinks.