Do you get the irresistible need to sniff a rose when you’re around a baby? Don’t you think newborns have a milky odour? If your answer is a resounding yes, don’t be concerned. You are not alone in your desire to do so, nor are you in the minority. What is it about babies that makes us want to pet them and sniff them all day? We can’t stop ourselves from inhaling their delicious scent. Is it just us, or is there something more going on? We’ve gathered all of the facts you need to address your inquiries concerning the fragrance of a newborn baby.
Why Do Newborns Smell So Good?
You’re certainly curious as to what generates the newborn infant fragrance, which lasts only a few weeks. There are no definitive answers to this subject; nevertheless, there is one widely held idea on why infants have such a distinct odour. Anyone who has observed or experienced a birth will attest to the fact that it is a messy process. After months of floating in amniotic fluid, newborns emerge entirely covered with the waxy white matter known as vernix caseosa. Few people believe that these chemicals and fluids are to blame for the scent of a newborn baby. This could also explain why that unique newborn aroma only lasts a few weeks. The scent of amniotic fluid was likened to the smell of a newborn baby’s head in a recent study. Although a few components were determined to be comparable, it was discovered that the newborn scent included additional chemical constituents and was completely unique.
Whatever the reason of infant odour, we may be certain that the scent of a newborn baby is as intense as an identifying marking. In fact, after spending ten minutes to an hour with their newborn infant, 90 percent of new mothers were able to recognise their babies by fragrance in an earlier research!
What Causes the Baby Scent?
Babies have a pleasant odour. But what creates the sweet aroma of a newborn baby? No one knows, as previously stated. Different than the traditional belief, which holds that the amniotic fluid (in which the baby floats while in the mother’s womb) is the source of their lovely smell, there are a number of other theories. Let’s take a look at everything that’s conceivable.
The lovely aroma of infants, according to George Preti, an analytical chemist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, arises from molecules released by the baby’s sweat glands. Because this scent only lasts a few weeks, it could also be influenced by the baby’s metabolism, which changes once these babies start drinking and eating and are no longer dependent on their mothers for nutrition.
Another idea claims that the aroma comes from the whitish, waxy substance (vernix caseosa) that coats the skin of a newborn who has just entered the world through the birth canal. Preti further claims that while this chemical is wiped away quickly, the perfume may persist on the skin, which is why babies have various scents.
Some people feel that this odour is part of nature’s ingenious scheme to make us fall in love with these entirely reliant, needy creatures. This aroma, according to Preti, allows a mother to recognise and bond with her child. The pleasure area of a mother’s brain lights up when she inhales the scent of her newborn kid, according to research.
What If My Newborn Baby Doesn’t Smell So Good?
It is a well-known truth that newborn newborns have a pleasant odour. However, you may want to go nose your newborn only to discover that they does not smell as wonderful as you had hoped. When you notice that your baby isn’t smelling as good as before, take some time to figure out what’s going on so you can get your sweet-scented baby back as soon as possible. The following are some of the possible causes of an unpleasant baby odour:
1. Poop
Newborn infants poop a lot, and while the smell of newborn faeces isn’t very awful, it can still be unpleasant. A diaper change is the answer to this problem. Along with changing a diaper, you must also ensure that the diaper is properly disposed of. Another point to consider is that babies are prone to explosion poops on a different level, all the way up their back. As a result, excrement can be found all the way up an infant’s back or even in their hair. Blowout poop may necessitate a bath and a diaper change. In addition to the diaper change, these messes may necessitate a bath (and a load of laundry!).
2. Milk or Formula Residue
During feeds, milk dribbles out the side of your baby’s mouth on a regular basis, and spit-ups are common. However, you could get a nasty odour now and then. Even after constantly wiping the infant after each feed, the drops collect on their neck and torso. A nice bath is the answer to this problem. However, only offer sponge showers to babies until their umbilical chord has fallen.
3. Introducing Solids
When you start giving solids to your kid around the age of six months, their excrement starts to smell a lot better than it used to. You may notice that your infant has larger poop in a variety of colours depending on the things they are eating. The remedy to this issue is to change your baby’s diaper as soon as they poop.
You are far from alone in being enamoured with your new baby’s aroma. As your child grows older, you may miss the aroma of your infant and wish you could have saved it somewhere secure. Our sole piece of advice is to appreciate every moment you have with your baby.
FAQ
- Why do newborn babies smell good?
After months of floating in amniotic fluid and being covered in the waxy white substance known as vernix caseosa, newborns arrive. Some people believe that these fluids and chemicals are responsible for the new newborn fragrance. This could be one of the reasons why the unique aroma of a baby lasts only a few weeks.
- Why do I love my babies smell?
Dopamine, the feel-good chemical that powers our brain’s reward centre, appears to be released when we smell a baby. It appears that parents and their children share an olfactory bond. Several studies have shown that moms can smell their children and recognise them with amazing precision.
- Why do moms smell their babies?
The ubiquitous newborn fragrance, according to new research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, is a finely created perfume of biological manipulation that developed to induce maternal connection. Smells have traditionally been linked to mother-child relationships.
- Why do baby heads smell so good?
The fragrance, according to Preti, comes from the vernix caseosa, a whitish cheese-like material that coats a newborn’s skin shortly after birth. The aroma is usually rinsed off, although it may linger on the baby’s hair and skin.
