Bottle-fed neonates prefer an odor experienced in utero to an odor experienced postnatally in the feeding context

Abstract

The head‐orientation response of 2‐ and 4‐day‐old bottle‐feeding neonates was studied in paired‐choice odor tests. Three tests were conducted at Days 2 and 4 after birth to assess the development of the relative response between two salient odors from the prenatal and postnatal environments: (a) amniotic fluid (AF) versus formula milk (FM), (b) FM versus control stimulus (distilled water), and (c) AF versus control stimulus. At both ages, AF and FM elicited positive orientation when presented simultaneously with the control stimulus, indicating that both odors were detectable and attractive to the infants. However, when AF and FM were presented concurrently, the infants expressed significantly longer orientation response toward AF odor than toward FM odor at the age of 2 and 4 days. Within the first 4 days of life, bottle‐feeders thus display olfactory preference for a prenatal substrate over a postnatal substrate to which they were recurrently exposed in the feeding situation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 33: 133–145, 1998

Amniotic Fluid as an Extended Milieu Intérieur

“…However, in a different study where bottle-fed infants (i.e. infants fed formula milk) were tested in a similar paradigm, 2-day-old and 4-day-old infants both preferred AF over formula milk (Marlier, Schaal, & Soussignan, 1998a). These findings imply that infants shift from a preference for AF to a preference for maternal milk after more extensive suckling experience, but that experience with infant formula is inadequate to promote the shift away from AF.…”

“…Milk contributes to the development of cardiac regulation and organization of behavioral states (Brake, Shair, & Hofer, 1988), and as in the examples of AF discussed above, flavors in mother's milk can influence subsequent dietary preferences in offspring (Beauchamp & Mennella, 2009;Bilkó et al, 1994;Galef & Sherry, 1973;. Indeed, several researchers have called attention to many of the striking similarities between AF and milk, suggesting a deep, developmental continuity between the two biological fluids (Marlier et al, 1998a(Marlier et al, , 1998bMennella & Beauchamp, 1998;Schaal, 2005;Smotherman & Robinson, 1992d).…”

The development of potentially better practices to support the neurodevelopment of infants in the NICU

“…284 The newborn infant has an inherent preference for amniotic fluid odors, breast milk and their own mothers' odor signature. [284][285][286][287][288][289][290][291][292][293][294] Within days after birth, olfactory preferences seem to be reinforced by exogenous cues associated with the mother's unique body odor and breast milk characteristics, [295][296][297][298][299][300] which may be translated into improved non-nutritive sucking. 301,302 These familiar odors also seem to have an adjunctive calming or soothing effect compared to non-familiar odors or no odors during venipuncture or heel lancing procedures, 303,304 with the stress of maternal separation or as a soothing tool.…”

Studying the effects of smell and taste experience in the pediatric population using functional near infrared spectroscopy: A hypothesis

“…In the case of olfactory preferences, the available evidence identifies perinatal time (4-37 min after birth) as a postnatal sensitive period for olfactory learning [38]. Prenatal experience with the odor of the mother's amniotic fluid induces full-term neonates to prefer that particular odor to the other of other woman's amniotic fluid [21] and to milk formulas [42]. It is not known, however, whether experience with tastes and/or odors has a stronger effect on the perception of gustatory and/or olfactory stimuli the earlier subjects are exposed to certain odors and tastes.…”