Feeding the Senses: The Hidden Neuroscience of Why Babies Are Wired to Nurse

By Fiona Rea, ALCI Vice President

Report 1 From The ELACTA Conference 2026

In her talk, Feeding the Senses, Adina Popov explored a powerful idea: breastfeeding is not just about nutrition, it is one of the most important sensory and neurological experiences in early human life. From the moment a baby is born, feeding engages all their senses simultaneously. Held in a caregiver’s arms, the infant feels touch, warmth, movement, smell, taste, and even limited visual input. This rich sensory environment is not incidental...it is essential. According to Popov, babies are “wired to nurse” because nursing provides the exact stimulation needed to organise and integrate the developing brain.

During feeding, babies are not passive. They actively move their muscles, coordinate sucking and swallowing, and respond to sensory feedback. These actions are guided by the cranial nerves, which connect the brain to the face, mouth, and body. Crucially, these nerves are not only motor (controlling movement) but also sensory, constantly sending information back to the brain. This feedback loop allows infants to “map” their bodies and build neural connections.

The scale of this development is astonishing. In the first year of life, up to one million neural connections form every second. But this growth depends on use. The brain follows a “use it or lose it” principle: pathways that are activated are strengthened, while those that are not may weaken or become dormant. Popov describes this as reflexes “going to sleep.” For example, if a baby cannot effectively suck, they may compensate with alternative feeding patterns, but the original reflex remains inactive rather than gone.

Understanding this has practical implications. Feeding difficulties are not always behavioural or simple mechanical issues; they can reflect deeper sensory or neurological challenges. Popov emphasises that some babies may have underlying conditions, such as neurological injury, that affect movement or coordination. In such cases, professional evaluation is essential.

However, many challenges arise not from pathology but from disrupted sensory-motor development. If babies are not given the opportunity to move, explore, and engage their reflexes, such as when feeding is overly directed rather than baby-led, they may miss critical stages of integration. Even subtle factors, like strong environmental smells interfering with a baby’s ability to recognize their caregiver, can impact feeding.

Popov also highlighted the long-term consequences of early sensory disruption. Difficulties with feeding, swallowing, or coordination in infancy can later appear as issues with attention, motor control, or even learning. For instance, improper tongue use during early feeding may affect speech development years later.

Encouragingly, she argued that many of these challenges can be addressed. Through targeted stimulation, movement, and exercises, caregivers and practitioners can help “reactivate” dormant reflexes and support proper development. Importantly, this work is collaborative: parents are not passive recipients of expert advice but active participants in helping their children.

Ultimately, this talk reframed breastfeeding and early feeding as foundational to human development. Beyond immunity and nutrition, feeding is a neurological event and one that shapes how babies experience their bodies, connect with others, and engage with the world.