In the News
There is nothing like the smell of a newborn baby. “New cars have nothing on new babies when it comes to a smell to get excited about,” said Chris Klunk, M.D., a board-certified neonatologist at Pediatrix® Neonatology of Texas. “New babies—at least when their diapers are clean—are often described as smelling soft, sweet and clean,” said Dr. Klunk. “Something like the cross between a French bakery and warm sheets straight out of the dryer.” One of the reasons newborns smell so good is to aid in parental bonding. A 2013 study discovered that the new baby smell can strengthen a mother’s positive feelings towards her baby. “Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brains of women exposed to baby smell demonstrated a response in areas of the brain tied to reward mechanisms, supporting the long-believed notion that infant smell plays a role in maternal bonding,” explained Dr. Klunk. “Inversely, infants are similarly drawn towards their mothers through the identification of their unique smells,” he added.
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