Of our five senses, our ability to sense touch (haptic sense) is the first one to develop as a growing fetus. In fact, touch is the one sense that we can’t live without. While we can adapt to losing our sense of smell, sight, taste, or hearing—when the sense of touch is lost—we lose the ability to effectively sit up, walk, or feel pain.
Research shows that humans don’t simply desire touch—they need it. Without enough positive human touch, it’s possible to develop a condition called touch deprivation.
