Baby huvud lukt
Barnet blir stabilare i kroppen och kan allt mer styra sina rörelser med viljan. Have you ever wondered why babies smell so good? It's a combination of science and evolution—but ultimately, the smell is there to help you bond with your baby. The new baby smell phenomenon is so widespread that it piqued the curiosity of researchers, who decided to weigh in.
The sebaceous glands are responsible for producing skin oils. Furthermore, research suggests that the newborn smell is not just attributed to childbirth fluids and substances—it is its own distinct scent. The scent disappears completely in the few weeks following birth , which explains why the short-lived smell is only attributed to newborns. This is due to the absence of the vernix caseosa —a white, waxy substance composed of lipids, proteins, and water that covers the baby at birth—which is believed to be one of the key contributors to the new baby smell.
It develops during the last trimester of pregnancy and begins to dissolve around 35 weeks, leaving the baby with remnants at birth. While science does play a role, Dr. Ellington explains that, from an evolutionary perspective, humans are simply hard-wired to enjoy the smell of babies.
Why Newborn Babies Smell So Delicious
This goes for the parents themselves, but other humans too. We all respond positively to newborns. Societal and cultural reasons also influence how the smell of a newborn is experienced and interpreted. There are many different aspects as to why, but as a species, we are drawn to protect young children. Interestingly, an older study from found that mothers were able to recognize their babies from smell alone. Although fleeting, the new baby smell is a powerful one!
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology revealed that people with ovaries' brains, in particular, are positively triggered by the smell of newborn babies.
New Baby Smell: Why Do They Smell So Good (or So Bad)?
For the study, researchers observed 30 people with ovaries—15 who recently gave birth and 15 who did not have any children. They were asked to identify different mystery scents, including a newborn odor, while researchers monitored their brain activity. What we saw is that for [new parents] and for [non-parents] these body odors of babies activated reward circuits of the brain, and that's different than usual odors.
He tells Parents that common odors typically activate other specific areas of the brain called olfactory processing areas—but instead, the baby odors activated reward centers, similar to the way good food or even drugs do. These findings seem to confirm what parents have known all along—that new baby smell is addicting. That sweet, comforting smell is loved by parents everywhere for a variety of reasons, from scientific and biological to evolutionary and psychological.
Our biology is telling us to do this, but our higher-level societal functioning and processing are telling us to be protective and love newborns. Smell, in particular, helps promote feelings that encourage nurturing. Oxytocin promotes feelings of attachment, warmth, relaxation, and, most importantly, bonding. Body odor appears to be one of the attachment mechanisms that is in place very early on.
A study in Science Advances found that a birthing parent's scent can help babies bond with strangers. First, researchers recorded the brain wave activity of 62 birthing parents and their infants using dual-electroencephalography dual-EEG. When the new parents interacted with their babies, their brain activities synchronized, especially during face-to-face interactions. When the babies were seated face-to-face with strangers, brain synchrony was much lower—but when a t-shirt containing their birthing parent's scent was placed nearby, the brain activity between the babies and strangers became more synchronized, much like it was with their birthing parent.
The babies were also more attentive, happier, and engaged when their parent's odor was present. Ultimately, these findings show that a birthing parent's scent helps babies feel more secure , comfortable, and socially responsive. So, why do babies smell good? Sci Rep 9. Mothers' recognition of their newborns by olfactory cues. Dev Psychobiol. Maternal status regulates cortical responses to the body odor of newborns. Maternal chemosignals enhance infant-adult brain-to-brain synchrony , Science Advances.
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