Do you miss that typical smell of your newborn babies? Women who have recently become mothers surely understand what we are talking about. The smell of babies still remains a mystery, but let's admit that there is something undeniable: It is a typical sweet and special smell. So baby smell!
Doctor Giuseppe Aragona explains exactly why newborns smell so special. He stated that:
"The distinctive smell of newborns, often described as a pleasant and fresh scent, can be attributed to several factors from a medical point of view." "Newborns have a white substance on their bodies called vernix caseosa, a waxy form of sebum and cells that protect the skin in the womb," he adds.
"This layer, even after being wiped off or washed off, leaves a lingering scent. In addition, the amniotic fluid, which surrounds the child throughout pregnancy, has its own unique smell that can remain on the newborn's skin for a long time,” adds the doctor.
Another factor is the natural oils produced by the newborn's skin, which make their smell even more subtle. It appears that babies have a high concentration of sweat glands, especially eccrine glands, which may contribute to their distinctive scent.
Finally, he explains that scent may play a biological role in strengthening the bond between infant and parent, potentially triggering caregiving behavior through an emotional and instinctive response.
A study published in "Frontiers in Psychology" shows that their aroma activates the pleasure centers of the brain, which are also activated by certain foods. The researchers extracted fresh baby smell from the pajamas of two-day-old babies and presented it to two groups of women. One group consisted of 15 mothers and the other of 15 nulliparous women.
The results, published in the "Christian Science Monitor", showed that mothers, but also women who had not yet become mothers, reacted in a similar way to the smell of newborns.
"Odors appear to trigger activation of the pleasure circuits of women's brains," according to CS Monitor.
So if you can't get enough of baby smell, there's a scientific reason for that!
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Source: HuffPost
