 |
 |
|
Did you know babies, just like their parents, have preferences in smells? Learning more about babies’ sense of smell might make your baby a little happier and life a little easier. |
| |
|
|
 |
Infants develop associations between smells and emotions even before they are born. |
|
In fact, early exposure to the smell of a mother’s amniotic fluid can have a calming and soothing effect on newborns, as it is familiar and reminiscent of their home for the past 9 months. |
|
Within the first week of life, newborns are capable of recognizing the scent of their own mother. This is largely due to the fact that the smell of a mother’s breast milk is somewhat similar to the smell of her amniotic fluid. |
|
A baby's ability to identify their mother’s smell helps them locate their food and can be a source of comfort. |
|
What a mother ate while she was pregnant can influence the early smell preferences of the baby. For instance, if mom ate a lot of garlic during pregnancy, her baby may later come to love garlicky smells. |
|
Close physical contact with a mother and her baby, gives the baby a greater exposure to a mother’s smells and has been shown to help babies bond more effectively with their parents, improve feeding and perhaps even decrease crying behaviors. So don’t worry if the early days seem to pass without even having time for a shower. Babies prefer it that way! |
|
Infants quickly begin to develop preferences for their own mother’s smells. For instance, within a few short weeks, most babies can detect and prefer the smell of their mother to the smell of any other woman. |
|
Dads can get in on the act by feeding the baby and holding a cloth that a mother has held for awhile or has the scent of breast milk on it. Soon, babies will develop a preference for Dad’s smell, too, particularly when paired with positive experiences such as holding, cuddling and feeding. |
| |
|
 |
|
|
Most babies seem to prefer smells like the fragrance of vanilla. |
|
Scents like lavender and lemons can become a favorite smell among babies. |
|
| |
|
| Have you ever walked into a room and been struck by the odor (either pleasing or offensive)? What happens after you spend about 30 minutes in that room? After a while that not-so-pleasant smell, doesn’t smell like anything anymore. That is because we tend to adapt to odors that we are around for long periods of time. But, other people who aren’t frequently around those unpleasant smells often keep their noses plugged because they haven’t adapted to the foul smell. So even if you don’t smell those dirty diapers, your guests will! The new Diaper Genie II Elite™ diaper disposal system can help keep any nursery smelling fresh & clean!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| There are many smells that can make a baby smile. Babies often smile when they smell something familiar, such as scents from the home or nursery. Babies find familiar smells like Mom and Dad, the most pleasing and calming of all. Keep the nursery smelling fresh and full of baby’s favorite scents so that mom, dad and baby can be calm and comfortable!
|
|
|
| |
|
Sense of smell is closely linked to the parts of the brain that involve both the ability to create emotions and memories. This is the reason why particular smells may trigger a strong emotional response and sometimes bring back a feeling of an old memory.
New research tells us that early scents paired with early experiences may become "hard wired" into an infant's brain. For example, if a specific scent is frequently exposed to an infant, it can help develop and reinforce important nerve pathways in a baby’s brain. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Content on this page is approved by:
Carol Cohen Weitzman, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Study Center
Director, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
Yale University School of Medicine
|
|