Babies use their mother's scent to 'see' faces

What if babies can “see” faces, thanks to their mother’s scent? Sounds bizarre, right? But it’s true. Infants, interesting little humans, use their mother’s scent to perceive faces.

A team of researchers from various institutes embarked on a study to understand how infants use their mother’s scent to perceive faces.

The infant “whiff and see” phenomenon

The findings are as intriguing as the concept itself. Turns out, younger infants benefit the most from their mother’s scent when it comes to perceiving faces.

This ability, the researchers found, greatly improves between four and 12 months. The older infants, however, rely primarily on visual information to perceive faces, needing no concurrent cues.

Dr. Arnaud Leleu is an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience and an expert in the Center for Taste, Smell and Feeding Sciences (CSGA) at the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France. Dr. Leleu was pivotal to this research. So, let’s hear his take on this discovery.

“I have a longstanding interest in how sensory perception works in the human brain. Despite its apparent simplicity (e.g., we open our eyes to see), perception is a complex neurocognitive ability derived from past experience with various stimulations coming from all the senses at the same time.”

Therefore, said Dr. Leleu, describing how multisensory inputs are treated by the young infant brain is critical to understand perception in the different senses and its development until adulthood.

Infants rely on mothers’ scent

Dr. Leleu’s interest in sensory perception, particularly how multisensory inputs are processed in the young brain, led him to this unique study. He wanted to investigate if and how olfaction fosters and shapes the development of visual perception in the infant brain.

The study found that the rapid perception of faces, enhanced by the mother’s odor, declined as infants grew older and became more efficient at perceiving faces solely from visual cues.

This finding underlines the role of olfaction in visual perception of developing infants until the visual system becomes effective independently.

Exposure to concurrent sensory inputs

Dr. Leleu emphasized the importance of early exposure to concurrent sensory inputs from different modalities for perceptual learning in infants.

“Together with the large body of research on multisensory perception in infants, our findings reveal the importance of the early exposure to concurrent sensory inputs from different modalities for perceptual learning,” noted Dr. Leleu.

“Such early exposure to repeated intersensory associations is also a building block for the later development of higher-level abilities such as semantic memory, language and conceptual reasoning. It is therefore important to expose infants to a variety of cues related to the same objects as early as possible.”

For instance, said Dr. Leleu, infants would learn better what an apple is by seeing its shape and color, hearing the sound it makes when taking a bite of it, smelling its odor, touching its shape and texture.

“Moreover, given that our findings highlight the importance of the sense of smell in this early concert of the senses, every sensory modality should be considered when stimulating young infants, not only hearing and vision.”

Infants and unfamiliar scents

What surprised Dr. Leleu the most was the significant effect of the mother’s odor on the perception of various unfamiliar faces in infants.

It’s like the mother’s body odor reassures infants and promotes their interest when they encounter novel people. In other words, this primary social odor seems to encourage prosocial cognitions and behaviors.

Environment and infant scent perception

The environment plays a crucial role in shaping the sensory experiences of infants. Factors such as the presence of different scents, sounds, and visual stimuli contribute to the richness of an infant’s sensory landscape.

A stimulating environment filled with varying aromas, like those from food or nature, can enhance olfactory processing and encourage exploration. This engagement not only supports the sensory integration process but also nurtures curiosity and learning in infants.

Thus, creating a diverse sensory-rich atmosphere is essential for optimal sensory and cognitive development.

Future implications of the research

Understanding how olfactory cues impact visual perception in infants opens new avenues for research and application. This knowledge could influence practices in parenting, early childhood education, and even therapies for developmental challenges.

For instance, incorporating familiar scents into learning environments may improve attention and recognition skills in young children.

Additionally, this research can pave the way for developing interventions for infants facing sensory processing disorders, emphasizing the significance of olfactory stimulation in their development.

As we continue to uncover the intricacies of sensory perceptions, the findings may reshape approaches to nurturing and education during critical growth periods.

Sniffing out future prospects

Despite the advancements in this field, the role of the sense of smell in early development remains poorly understood.

Dr. Leleu emphasized the need to investigate if the odor effect is specific to social stimuli or applies generally. Furthermore, the changes in olfactory-visual associations as infants start crawling and walking need exploration.

So, as we come to the end of this olfactory journey, it’s evident that the complex tapestry of child development harbors immense potential.

By understanding and appreciating the subtleties like the role of a mother’s scent, we can be better equipped in nurturing and fostering the development of the young humans in our care.

The research was a collaborative effort by researchers from Université de Bourgogne, University of Hamburg, Université de Lyon, Institut Universitaire de France, Université de Lorraine, Centre Hospitalier de Nancy, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

The study is published in the journal Child Development.

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