The slowest sense to develop in infants is ________.

Vision is indeed the slowest sense to develop in infants. At birth, a baby's visual acuity is quite limited, as they are only able to see objects that are about 8 to 12 inches away. This distance is ideal for seeing the face of a caregiver during feeding. Infant vision continues to develop over time, with a gradual improvement in clarity and the ability to see further distances. By around 6 months of age, infants typically can see more clearly and begin to track moving objects, but full adult-like vision is not achieved until they are several years old.

In contrast, the other senses, such as hearing, touch, and taste, are more developed at birth. For example, infants can hear sounds and recognize their mother’s voice shortly after birth. The sense of touch develops significantly as infants explore their environment through their hands and mouth, and taste preferences begin to form even in utero as they are exposed to various flavors through amniotic fluid. Therefore, vision's delayed development compared to these other senses makes it the correct choice.