There is nothing quite like the scent of a baby. Whether we are cognissant or not, the first thing most of us do when holding a newborn is take a deep whiff.
So what is it about a baby that smells so amazing?
A recent study that was published in Frontiers of Psychology analyzed brain activity of 30 women who were exposed to "baby smell" taken from pyjamas and the results were astounding. The smell of newborns triggered the release of dopamine release in the reward pathways of the brain. This is the same pleasure pathway affected by cocaine, food and other stimuli that evoke reward!