More Than a Sense: The Sense of Smell and Its Reflection in Mother and Baby: A Comprehensive Review

• Published in: Journal of evaluation in clinical practice 2025-02, Vol.31 (1), p.e14284
• Main Authors: Laleh, Shahla Shafaati, Mirghafourvand, Mojgan, İnal, Sevil, Karaahmet, Aysu Yildiz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child Development - physiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Mother-Child Relations - psychology; Mothers - psychology; Odorants; Smell - physiology
• ISSN: 1356-1294; 1365-2753; 1365-2753
• DOI: 10.1111/jep.14284

The sense of smell is one of the most developed and important senses that forms the bond between the newborn and the mother and allows the newborn to reach the mother's breast. The sense of smell begins to form during intrauterine life, and the sense of smell can be a marking tool for a newborn baby, so that the baby can recognize both his mother and his immediate environment and develop his behaviour accordingly. This is necessary not only for feeding babies but also for them to feel safe and peaceful in their new environment. In the early stages of life, olfactory stimulation (maternal odour, breast milk odour, amniotic fluid odour, smell of people or different environments) plays an important role in adapting to the environment. Smell stimulation, in particular, is critical for newborns' postnatal survival because it supports a wide range of early regulatory functions and motor responses. This review also aims to examine the current evidence in the field of olfactory skills in mother and infant in the development and care of the infant. Another aim is to summarize the research conducted to determine the effect of the sense of smell on the life of the mother and baby. The article was written as a comprehensive review using certain keywords. However, the results on this issue are different. First of all, it is suggested that in the first years of life, the sense of smell can play an important role in social adaptation to the environment, recognition of the environment, mother-infant bonding, and therefore in this case, it is recommended to make olfactory stimulating interventions. However, more well-designed experimental studies are needed in this regard. We look forward to future studies that closely examine various aspects of how olfactory stimulation affects both mother and baby.