What Is The Baby Smelling Like?
One of the characteristics of newborns is the incomparable smell they give off. This fragrance stays permanently in the mother’s brain so that even as the years go by, she remembers it as if it were yesterday.
Many studies have set themselves the task of discovering what the baby smells like as well as its effects on the mother. We’ll tell you what he owes him and why keeping your baby up close becomes an addiction.
The baby’s scent: intoxicating sweet for mothers
Most people who have ever held a baby in their arms have been able to sense how pleasant it smells.
Studies suggest that this pleasurable feeling is due to nature that, for reasons of survival, seems to forge a bond with the mother. In other words, there are substances in this smell that attract parents to breastfeed and have contact with the child.
In the case of mothers, the baby’s scent triggers a reaction in the brain, in the same way as those caused by dopamine, or the pleasure hormone. Thus, the proximity to the child becomes an addiction or an action that produces pleasure.
It is estimated that, as mentioned above, this is one of the natural ways to guarantee a bond of love between mother and child. Combined with other modifications in the mother’s brain, the smell stimulates lactation and, as a result, the baby’s survival.
Why do babies have this distinctive smell?
This issue of the baby’s scent has led several experts to talk about it and to compare it with other known scents. Some compare it to the smell of cookies dipped in milk, a sweet aroma that awakens all kinds of sensations.
On the other hand, others associate it with the smell of caramel or vanilla, which enters the brain to stay in it forever. However, science points out that this pleasant smell is due to the following factors:
cheesy vernix
Vernix caseosa is a whitish substance that covers the baby’s skin at birth. Its greasy aspect provides hydration to the skin from the moment it begins to form during pregnancy, in the 20th week of pregnancy.
This oily or sebaceous layer, according to the researchers, helps regulate temperature and is a substance rich in vitamin E, which protects the baby during the first weeks of birth.
Because of the functions that this substance has for the skin, it is recommended not to eliminate it completely at bath time. In this way, better absorption is guaranteed and nutrients are better used.
The vernix caseosa is basically composed of proteins, water and fats, which help to preserve the baby’s incredible smell. It is felt most intensely in the head during the first few months of birth.
amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid is also estimated to play an important role in the baby’s scent at birth. This colorless, odorless substance is made up of carbohydrates, proteins and nutrients that keep your baby protected while in the womb.
Thus, when the vernix caseosa mixes with the remains of the amniotic fluid, an indescribable odor forms on the skin. This scent is what helps form the bond with the mother.
Inactivity of sweat glands
Another factor to which the baby’s smell is attributed is the fact that its thermoregulation of temperature has not yet fully developed. For this reason, babies hardly ever sweat.
When sweat dries, it can generate some bad smelling bacteria. However, if your child’s skin is clean, he or she will not give off any bad odors.
As the months go by, the baby may sweat when making a physical effort, such as when crying intensely. However, if babies are sweating heavily or eating, even if their clothes are removed, it is necessary to see the doctor immediately.
In short, the baby’s scent at birth is a combination of the amniotic fluid and the vernix caseosa in the skin, which help to protect it.
The goal is to get into the mother’s brain and strengthen a bond with the parents that guarantees survival. Without a doubt, this is one of those gifts of nature that surprises us.
