Babies' Short and Long-Term Memory

For a long time, researchers believed that babies had limited understanding of the world and that whatever they did learn was quickly forgotten. More recent studies have changed this view considerably. We now know that even very young infants take in a surprising amount of information and that their ability to store and recall memories develops rapidly during the first years of life.

Parents often notice their baby's memory at work in daily life, sometimes before they realise what they are seeing. A baby who calms at a familiar voice or brightens when a favourite toy appears is demonstrating memory in action. Understanding how this develops can help you make sense of your baby's behaviour and support their learning in everyday ways.

How Memory Works in Newborns

In the earliest weeks, babies rely heavily on instinct. Newborns have a set of reflexes that aid their survival. The rooting reflex, for example, causes a newborn to turn towards touch on their cheek, searching for food. Place a nipple in their mouth and the sucking reflex takes over automatically.

These responses are not learned. They are built in from birth and do not require memory in the way we usually think of it. However, even at this stage, newborns are beginning to process sensory information. Research suggests they can recognise their mother's voice within days of being born, likely because they heard it regularly during pregnancy.

Smell plays a role too. Newborns show a preference for the scent of their own mother's milk over that of another woman. These early preferences hint at a basic form of memory taking shape, even if the infant cannot yet recall events or experiences in a conscious way.

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Short Term Memory in the First Year

Short term memory allows us to hold information briefly, usually for a few seconds to a minute. In young babies, this capacity is limited but grows steadily. By around two to three months, many infants can remember a face or object for a short period after it disappears from view.

You might notice this when playing peek a boo. At first, your baby may seem genuinely surprised each time you reappear. As the months pass, they begin to anticipate what will happen next. Researchers have studied this shift using looking time experiments, where they measure how long babies gaze at expected versus unexpected outcomes. These studies show that short term memory develops gradually and babies start to hold onto information for longer periods.

Between four and six months, babies often become better at recognising familiar people and objects. They may show excitement when they see a toy they have played with before or become unsettled around strangers. This wariness around unfamiliar people typically appears around six to eight months. It can be a sign that your baby's memory is working well enough to distinguish between people they know and those they do not.

Simple games and repetition support short term memory during this stage. Singing the same songs, reading the same books, and following predictable routines all give babies opportunities to practise holding information in mind.

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Long Term Memory and Early Experiences

Long term memory involves storing information over extended periods, from days to years. This type of memory develops more slowly than short term memory and continues to mature well into childhood. The hippocampus, a brain region central to forming new memories, undergoes significant development during infancy and early childhood, which helps explain why memory capacity increases with age.

Explicit memory formation, where infants consciously recall specific events, is limited during the early months and develops gradually. However, babies can develop what researchers call implicit memories. These are memories that influence behaviour without conscious awareness. A baby who has had positive experiences with bath time, for instance, may show pleasure when they hear the water running, even if they cannot recall any particular bath.

From around nine months onwards, infants begin to show signs of remembering specific events for longer. A baby might look for a toy that was hidden several minutes earlier or repeat an action they saw a caregiver perform the day before. This copying of actions after a delay is considered an early marker of developing long term memory.

By the time children reach their first birthday, their memory capacity has expanded considerably. They may remember people they have not seen for weeks or recognise places they have visited before. This does not mean they will retain these memories into adulthood. Most people have few if any memories from before the age of three, a phenomenon known as infantile amnesia. Scientists are still working to understand exactly why early memories fade, though ongoing brain development and changes in how memories are stored likely play a role.

Supporting Your Baby's Memory Development

You do not need special equipment or programmes to help your baby's memory grow. Everyday interactions provide plenty of opportunities for learning. Talking to your baby, describing what you are doing, and responding to their sounds and expressions all support brain development.

Repetition is crucial because babies learn through repeated activities. Reading favourite books, singing familiar songs, and sticking to regular routines help reinforce memory pathways. It can feel tedious for adults, but for babies it is how learning sticks.

Spending time face to face with your baby is particularly valuable for memory and learning. Babies are drawn to human faces and voices from birth, and this preference supports both social and cognitive development. Making eye contact, smiling, and engaging in simple back and forth exchanges all help build connections in the brain.

If you have concerns about your baby's development, including their memory or responsiveness, speak to your health visitor or GP. The NHS offers developmental reviews at key stages, including checks at six to eight weeks, nine to twelve months, and two to two and a half years. These appointments are a good opportunity to raise any questions. You can find more information about child health and development on the NHS website.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Developmental Milestone Checker lets you enter your child's age and find out which developmental milestones they should be reaching. Covers physical, cognitive, social, and language development with guidance on what to do if you have concerns. Try it now →