What is the earliest fetal sense to develop?

Touch is indeed the earliest fetal sense to develop. Research indicates that the sensory receptors for touch begin to form in the fetus around the seventh or eighth week of gestation. By approximately 12 weeks, the fetus can respond to tactile stimuli, indicating that the sense of touch is functional well before other senses.

This early development is crucial for the fetus, as it facilitates bonding with the mother through physical sensations, such as the feeling of being cradled in the womb and the stimulation that occurs during movements and changes in position. The ability to sense touch also lays the groundwork for later development in areas such as emotional bonding and social interactions.

In contrast, other senses develop at different stages of gestation. For example, hearing does not begin until around 25 weeks, taste develops around the 13th week when the fetus starts to swallow amniotic fluid, and vision is extremely limited until after birth. Thus, the sequence of sensory development clearly places touch as the earliest sense to emerge in the fetal environment.