Young babies are attracted to the scent of their mothers’ breastmilk and prefer it to the scent of other women’s milk. In one type of experiment, two breast pads were placed to the sides of the heads of newborns only a few days old. On one side was the breast pad from the infant’s mother, and on the other side the pad from another lactating mother. In experiments like these, babies reliably turn toward the breast pad of their mother.
References
Makin, J. W., & Porter, R. H. (1989). Attractiveness of lacatating female’s breast odors to neonates. Child Development, 60, 803
Shelov, S. P. (Editor-in-Chief). (2004). Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. The American Association of Pediatrics. Revised edition. New York: Bantam Books.
