Baby, you're a genius!

They're born looking so helpless, but babies are clever. From recognising mum's voice to having favourite tunes, they're wired to thrive. Tanith Carey's new book, What's my Baby Thinking? Practical Child Psychology for Modern Parents, explains what makes these bundles of joy so smart

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music three weeks before birth recognise tunes when they are a month old.

Their heart rate slowed more when they heard familiar melodies than when they were played tunes they had never heard before. Researchers even found that babies of mothers who regularly watch the same shows, like soap operas, recognised and reacted to hearing the theme tune after birth.

Newborns arrive liking some of the same food too. An unborn baby's taste buds start to grow at 14 weeks Growing in the womb they swallowed more than a litre of amniotic fluid every day, some of which contains the smell and taste of foods. Researchers found babies whose mums ate a lot of garlic in pregnancy were more likely to be attracted to the smell after birth.

They already know how to flatter their dads:

Has your baby come out bearing an uncanny resemblance to their father? It may not be a coincidence. They are more likely to start out life looking like their father.

Babies of mums who like soaps recognise the theme tunes