Les stimulations olfactives dans les relations entre l'enfant et la mère

Abstract

Summary. Olfactory stimulations in mother-child relations.In this paper, we report new data on mutual olfactory recognition between mother and child.Newborn infants were filmed since birth. When awakening in the mother's room at the Clinical Hospital, they were confronted with a cotton pad impregnated with diverse secretions of the mother and a cotton pad impregnated with the same secretions of another mother or a pad with no specific odour. We used a double-blind technique. By analyzing the films, frame by frame, we found that the whole area swept by the nose and the arms was significantly decreased in the child whose nose came into contact with the « mother» pad. The method could be used to study other sensory abilities in the baby.The olfactory abilities of the mother in relation to the baby were also tested with the double-blind principle. We found (i) on the 3rd and 4th days after birth, most mothers recognized the baby's odour, (ii) this faculty decreased from the 4th to the 6th day, and finally (iii) increased from the 8th day. These results are discussed.We also found that one-third of 3 to 5 years old children more often chose a tee-shirt worn against the mother's skin for 2 to 3 days than any other tee-shirt (worn by an alien mother or with no specific odour).It appears that olfactory cues can play a role in the attachment of the baby to its mother, and that they still are involved in that process when the child is between 3 and 5 years old.Introduction.

Volatile Signals During Pregnancy: A Possible Chemical Basis for Mother–Infant Recognition

“…Odor cues from newborns are salient to their mothers (Kaitz et al, 1987). Mothers can distinguish the odor of their own newborn baby from that of other newborns (Schaal et al, 1980;Kaitz et al, 1987;Chiarelli, 2001). Experiments also have demonstrated that adults can recognize gender and individuality of non-related children (Ligabue Stricker, 1991;Chiarelli, 2001).…”

“…Children usually prefer parts of clothes that have been in contact with the axilla and worn by their own mothers to clothes worn by other mothers (Schaal et al, 1980). Thus, pheromones seem to have a fundamental role in the mechanism of mother-child identification (Porter et al, 1983;Porter and Winberg, 1999).…”

Encontros com o outro: empatia e intersubjetividade no primeiro ano de vida

“…A capacidade precoce de reconhecimento individual também é sugestiva da importância da vinculação individualizada. Só para se ter uma idéia, na primeira semana de vida os bebês já são capazes de identifi car e preferir a mãe a estranhos, pelo odor (Schaal et al, 1980), pela voz (MacFarlane, 1975 e pela face (Field, Cohen, Garcia, & Greenberg, 1984).…”

Mutual Olfactory Recognition Between Mother and Child

“…Newborns' odour cues are salient to their mothers and mothers are able to discriminate their own newborn baby's odour from another newborn baby (Schaal et al, 1980). Recognition of infant's odour by mothers, using clothing worn by the infant, can be shown even within the first week of birth (Fleming et al, 1995) or even the first 2 days (Porter, Cernoch and McLaughlin, 1983).…”

“…Very young infants can identify their mothers using smell (Macfarlane, 1975;Varendi and Porter, 2001). For example, Schaal et al (1980) showed that infants orientate towards parts of clothes that have had contact with the axillae and worn by their own mothers compared to clothes worn by other mothers. However, most research attention has focused on infants' interest in mother's breast odour.…”