Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 1997 Sep;86(9):985-90.
doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1997.tb15184.x.

Natural odour preferences of newborn infants change over time

Affiliations
Comparative Study

Natural odour preferences of newborn infants change over time

H Varendi et al. Acta Paediatr. 1997 Sep.

Abstract

At their first sucking contact, neonates prefer an unwashed breast to a washed one, but an amniotic fluid (AF)- treated breast over a "natural odour" breast. We examined the development of these neonatal olfactory preferences. On days 3-4 significantly more babies still selected their mother's unwashed breast (n = 21) than the washed alternative (n = 8). Preferences for natural breast odours were more pronounced for girls than boys. In a subsequent experiment comprising another 28 babies, the number of babies who selected a naturally scented (n = 9) vs an AF-treated breast (n = 19) on days 2-5 were not reliably different. However, babies who selected the natural breast had longer pre-test maternal contact and had spent more time breastfeeding. Ten babies who chose the AF breast in the latter experiment were tested in the same manner several days later; all preferred the naturally smelling breast. While preferences for AF fade after birth, responsiveness to natural breast odours may be enhanced by postnatal experience.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types