New Baby Smell

It’s the first thing people say when they hold a newborn baby. “Oh, I love that new baby smell!” All newborns seem to be born with that sweet scent, one that fades much too soon. I can remember snuggling with my daughters when they were first born and they, too, had the New Baby Smell.

    So what causes the New Baby Smell, what purpose does it serve, and why is it so short-lived? My initial guess is that the scent serves some kind of evolutionary purpose, that it helps mothers and infants attract to one another to ensure the infant’s survival. So I set out in search of some answers. 

    Much to my surprise, I was unable to find any scientific research on this topic, at least not any that is readily available. I searched and searched, but was only able to find theories that others have posted online.

    Below are some of the more popular theories about how and why newborns have that New Baby Smell. Please leave a comment if you have any more information to share on this topic!

   Theory #1 (and my best guess): The sweet smell of a newborn encourages the mother to hold, protect, and feed the baby. Newborns are completely helpless at birth and depend on their mothers for survival. There is plenty of scientific evidence that newborns have the ability to recognize their mothers’ scent and thus find the food source, milk. The newborn has done it’s part, and the lovely scent of the infant helps the mother to do her part, nurture the baby. From my experience, the smell seems to come from the top of infants’ heads. When you smell the head of a baby, they are cradled in your arms, protected.

    Theory #2: The smell is not from the baby, but rather the smell of the perfumed baby lotion, soap, powder, and laundry detergent. It is true that all those products smell great and make one smell like a baby. However there are plenty of people out there who don’t use perfumed products and claim the New Baby Smell is still there. I personally think there is a difference between New Baby Smell and the scented baby products.

    Theory #3: The smell is actually that of breastmilk. Many people claim that the New Baby Smell seems to fade around the time when babies wean, or start eating solid food, so it must have something to do with being breastfed. Infants are attracted to the scent of their mother’s milk, so it makes sense that we may like the smell as well. It lingers on the baby’s mouth and on their breath.

    Theory #4: There is no smell, we are just euphoric at the sight of a newborn and instinct tells us to hold and snuggle the baby until someone looks at us like we have lost our mind and we must then put the baby down.

    Again, I believe that there is a New Baby Smell, for I have smelt it. I believe it’s Mother Nature’s way of helping the mother and child form an important bond for survival. If you have another theory or know where to find some scientific research on this topic, please share it with us!

*Photo by Jennifer Kolb Photography

Experiment Idea: If you have a newborn handy, give the baby a good whiff! Try it with and without the baby products and let us know what you discover.

If you don’t have a newborn, ask your children what their favorite scents are, and try to gather some to smell. Some suggestions are flowers, freshly baked cookies, fresh-cut grass, or their favorite dinner.