It is clear that a baby or child has much to receive and learn from their parents and their environment, and this will shape their qualities as a person. But there are certain innate characteristics in the baby that are fulfilled in all of them, except for some physical or psychological problem.
Reflexes are one of these innate characteristics that arrive with our babies. For example, a newborn will respond identically to a loud and unexpected noise: it is the reflection of the Moor, by which, if he is lying on his back, he will extend his arms forward, then emit a scream and then gradually relax.
Over the weeks, this reflex is replaced by startle response, also universal: the eyes close and the mouth opens, the head falls, the shoulders and arms sink, the knees bend slightly, a position similar to that of the body waiting to receive a blow.
At birth we also have preferences in taste, and we prefer sugary solutions. We reject acidic, salty or bitter substances, and we respond to each of them with the distinctive facial expressions that we will also use as adults. I don't want to imagine how the experiments have been done about taste with newborns ...
Regarding the ear, we know that babies like music, but what about noise? Every newborn can distinguish innate between noise and tone. At 4 months, the child prefers harmonious tones, and sometimes reacts to discordant notes with a facial expression of disgust, as it would before an unpleasant taste. Mind you, listening to Mozart probably won't make you smarter.
If there is something that differentiates us from other animal species at birth (and during our life), it is that our sensory system gives preponderance to audiovisual information: most animal species give it to olfactory or gustatory information.
The newborn's vision has particular characteristics: it perceives changes in the intensity of the light, sets contrast points, shows the orientation and photomotor reflex.
The newborn is able to see objects in an area of 20 to 30 centimeters and probably in a scale of white, black and gray.
Already in the first 10 minutes after birth, children look more at normal facial designs drawn on posters than on abnormal drawings. In 48 hours, they prefer to look at their mother more than other unknown women.
I imagine that the same will happen if instead of his mother he sees continuously is someone else.
Also the baby's smile is universal, both the primary reflection of "angelic smile" and the social smile that comes with the passing of the weeks.
As we see, the baby has a lot of innate abilities and characteristics that are fulfilled no matter where or how they were born. Now, its development and evolution does depend fundamentally on its environment and its care.
