The smell of the baby produces in the mother a state of placidity and joy

The presence of a child in the arms of their parents is a positive experience for them. The joy that comes from having children is immense, it even has an explanation on the part of science. This is highlighted by a study conducted by different universities, such as Philadelphia or Pennsylvania and published in the magazine Frontiers in Psychology.

This work highlights how the smell of baby it produces in the mother a great state of placidity and joy. A scientific demonstration that explains the link between the child and his mother and that encourages women to have their children close to them at these ages to benefit from these stimuli that favor a state of mind of happiness in it.

Increase in dopamine

To check how I could include the presence of the smell of baby In the mothers, these researchers brought together two groups of women. On the one hand, those who had had a child a short time ago, on the other hand, participants who had not yet experienced motherhood. All of them had to try to identify several smells impregnated in different objects.

Among all of them, one in particular, centered this study: a pajama with the smell of a baby. Women who had been mothers not only easily recognized this olfactory brand, but also, but also his body produced dopamine when going through this situation. A hormone present in the reward mechanism in the brain, making these participants ensure a greater sense of well-being.

For making a comparison, the scientists They related this sensation to the same one that a person has when smelling a tasty meal or when kissing a couple. A sample of how the closeness of a baby causes a sense of well-being in women and encourages all mothers to share these moments with their babies to benefit from this aspect.

Benefits of closeness between mother and baby

This research is not the only one that highlights how keeping close to the baby's mother has important benefits. Even the World Health Organization, WHO, highlights the positive results of this:

- The baby knows his mother and will feel less afraid of his presence. A way to introduce the little one into his new home.

- Lactation The benefits of breastfeeding to the little ones and to the mother are not new. Separating newborns from their mothers means depriving them of this beneficial food.

- Greater security. Seeing yourself in a cradle alone can mean the onset of stress in babies, on the contrary to know in the arms of his mother the newborn will be safer and will have less trouble when falling asleep.

- Emotional bond. Mother and baby can strengthen their bond by being close to each other and will begin a union that will last through the years.

- For the mother also means less stress because she will constantly know the state of her baby. On the contrary, not having it close will make you interested at all times about your situation.

- Preparation for what is to come. In the case of first-time parents, keeping the baby close during their first hours of life will make it easier for them to get to know their needs and prepare to meet them. A good way to go into matter.

- Allows thermal regulation of the baby. The skin-to-skin contact maintains the baby's temperature. It thus fulfills the function of facilitating thermal regulation in such a way that the temperature of the newborn always remains in a safe range. This function means that newborns placed in skin-to-skin contact with their mother are found to have a significantly warmer body temperature than babies placed in a crib.

- Decreases the time of the baby's crying. The newborn who has contact with his mother skin to skin as soon as he is born cries for less time than the one who is separated from his mother from the beginning. The crying appears in these occasions in the newborns as a form of complaint to return to their mother from which they have just separated.

Damián Montero