Odours

Evidence 

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00597/full 

Johan N. Lundström, Annegret Mathe, Benoist Schaal, Johannes Frasnelli, Katharina Nitzsche, Johannes Gerber and Thomas Hummel 

Human mother's behavioural response to neonatal body odour is well-established and like other neonatal traits, odours indeed seem to be particularly salient stimuli to post-parturient women.  

Reciprocally, infants are highly reactive to maternal odours. Such facts support the notion that body odours serve as a medium for the mutual exchange of cues and signals that may influence mother to infant and infant to mother signalling in a manner previously demonstrated for visual stimuli.  

Education 

When babies are first born, they have a newborn smell for a few weeks. This beautiful smell has a positive effect on mums and studies have shown that the newborn scent triggered women’s dopamine pathways in the region of the brain associated with rewards.   

Babies are also born with a strong sense of smell that is key to their survival. Smell helps them find the mother and latch to breastfeed for the first time. A person’s scent isn’t just one smell: it’s a complex mixture of chemical signals. After your baby is just a few days old, they can differentiate between their mother’s scent and that of a stranger. Both the mother’s breast milk and her body odour have unique scents that attract her baby. The smell of a mother’s milk is known to have a calming effect on newborns.  

Although babies do not have a bad body odour, there are factors which can trigger body odour in them. Lack of hygiene, soiled clothes and unchanged nappies can cause body smell.  

Also, when a baby spits up milk, they can have a sour milk smell.  

In some very rare cases unusual smells coming from a young child’s body or urine should be checked with your GP. 

Empowerment 

It’s important to wash your baby or young child frequently at least once a day by giving them a lukewarm bath and using a sponge to clean them particularly under their neck, underarms, and genital areas.  Also washing your baby’s face, hands, and neck after each feeding time.  

Giving a daily bath will keep away most of the odours however if you smell anything unusual coming from the baby’s urine or body you should talk to your doctor for advice. 

Useful Links  

What to expect 

https://www.whattoexpect.com/news/first-year/why-do-newborn-babies-smell-so-good 

Mom Junction 

https://www.momjunction.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-your-babys-body-odor_00359436/

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