Scientists reveal what makes a baby’s head SMELL so good!
Awww, that newborn smell. Parents just can’t get enough of it.
But there’s actually a reason why babies give out such a sweet scent after they are born.
The REASON why a baby’s head SMELLS so good
Scientists collected scents of newborns straight after birth to find out more about the chemicals are made up of.
“We successfully collected fresh odours of newborn babies immediately after birth by using MonoTrap silica beads,” study notes revealed.
“During odour sampling, no baby cried or fretted but remained rather relaxed or even sleeping in the bed or its mother’s arms.”
It turns out the samples collected hours after birth is very different to samples collected 2 or 3 days afterwards.
“This suggest that a baby can strongly express its individuality through the odour soon after birth compared to a few days later,” say researchers.
This unique scent is actually their way of communicating.
“Newborn babies are limited in their capacity for meaningful communication,” the study authors added.
“However, they can cry and also emit their own odours even immediately after birth.
“Acoustic stimulation with the cry of a baby emotionally influences mothers, and it also seems very likely that the baby odours may have a psychological effect on mothers.”
Sniffing a newborn baby’s HEAD is the SAME as taking drugs
Meanwhile, scientists have found that smelling your newborn’s head is the same as taking drugs!
Researchers from the University of Montreal found that when mums get a whiff of their newborn’s fuzzy head it triggers their dopamine levels.
Basically, a baby’s scent is like a biological perfume that creates maternal bonding and lights up the same region of the brain that is associated with reward.
This area is also triggered by delicious food, sex and drug-addiction cravings – basically everything to do with causing you to feel pleasure!
“What we have shown for the first time is that the odour of newborns, which is part of these signals, activates the neurological reward circuit in mothers,” study author Johannes Frasnelli said in a statement.
“These circuits may especially be activated when you eat while being very hungry, but also in a craving addict receiving his drug. It is in fact the sating of desire.”
“It is possible that childbirth causes hormonal changes that alter the reward circuit in the caudate nucleus, but it is also possible that experience [of smelling their own baby] plays a role.”
So, there you have it. We finally know why sniffing a baby’s head is a soooo addictive!
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