Why Do Newborns Smell So Good?
Several studies have examined what newborns smell like and the effect of the scent on mothers. We’ll tell you what it is and why it’s addictive to have your baby near you.
Newborns have an incomparable smell. The scent stays in the mother’s memory forever. Even as the years go by, they remember it as if it were yesterday.
How newborns smell: Sweet and intoxicating for moms
Most people who have had a newborn baby in their arms have experienced how intoxicating the smell is. Studies suggest that it is one of nature’s tricks to get us to connect and take care of our little ones.
For survival reasons, it seems to create a bond between mother and child. In other words, there are odors in the odor that entice parents to breastfeed and have contact with the baby.
For mothers, the baby’s odor generates a reaction in the brain with the release of dopamine, or the happiness hormone. Therefore, the closeness to the baby is addictive and brings joy and happiness.
As I said, it is a natural way to guarantee a bond between mother and child. In combination with other modifications in the mother’s brain, the smell stimulates breastfeeding, which ensures the baby’s survival.
Why do babies have the characteristic odor?
Several researchers have talked about how newborns smell and compared their scent with other scents. Some compare it to cakes and milk. It is a sweet scent that evokes different emotions.
Others associate it with caramel or vanilla. The scent is introduced to the brain and stays there forever.
However, science confirms that the pleasant scent depends on the following factors:
Fetal sebum
Fetal sebum is a whitish substance that covers the baby’s skin at birth. Its oily texture ensures that the skin does not dry out while it is being formed. In fact, sebum begins to form around week 20 of pregnancy.
According to researchers, this fat layer helps regulate the temperature. It is also a substance rich in vitamin E. In addition, it helps to protect the baby during the first weeks after birth.
We recommend that you do not wash it off completely when bathing your baby so that the skin can absorb the nutrients in the best way.
Fetal sebum consists mostly of proteins, water and fats. They all help to preserve the amazing scent of babies. The smell is most intense on the head during the first months.
Amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid also plays an important role in children’s odor at birth. The colorless and odorless substance consists of carbohydrates, proteins and nutrients. In addition, they hold the baby securely in the womb.
The combination of fetal sebum with the excess amniotic fluid creates an indescribable smell that helps the baby to connect with the mother.
Inactive sweat glands
Another factor is that children can not regulate their own body temperature yet. Therefore, they hardly sweat at all.
When sweat dries, it can lead to bacterial growth that causes bad odor. If the baby’s skin is clean, it will not give off a bad odor.
As the months go by, children start sweating when they do something physically strenuous, such as crying intensely. If your baby sweats too much when eating, even if he is not wearing clothes and blankets, you should contact your doctor immediately.
In summary, the newborn odor is a combination of amniotic fluid and fetal sebum, substances that remain on the skin and help to take care of it. The purpose is to help the child and the mother to connect with each other, which guarantees the child’s survival. It is probably one of the most amazing gifts from nature!
