London - The tears, the crying and the sleepless nights leave some women wondering how they will ever cope with the stresses and strains of motherhood.
But according to scientists, the body has developed a natural solution – rewiring the brain after birth so the scent of a baby helps mothers rise to the challenge.
Researchers from Nagasaki University in Japan gave 38 women strips of T-shirts to sniff, some of which had been worn by four-day-old babies.
Their study, published in the journal Chemical Senses, found the women who had children showed a surge of activity in the prefrontal cortex – which keeps people rational, thoughtful and ready to care for others – when they detected the baby’s smell.
Psychologist Dr Cynthia McVey, from Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “The smell of an infant works as a natural stimulant to increase the ability to cope.
“Of course, this would be most effective when the baby is being held close, for example when it may be in distress and crying.”
She added: “The women were not all new mothers so this effect appears to be long-lasting.
“As a grandmother myself I cannot explain why the smell on the back of a baby’s neck is so heady – it’s the funniest thing.” - Daily Mail