What's responsible for that sweet newborn smell?

Have you ever held a baby and couldn’t get enough of how great they smell?

A baby's breath doesn't typically smell due to their lack of teeth, which collect various substances like food debris, sugars, and bacteria.

Why babies don't have bad breath

Babies don’t have a bad odour due to several reasons; the lack of teeth, the presence of phagocytes in breast milk, and the fact that babies have a lot of saliva. Newborns and infants have healthier breath than older children and adults.

Why babies don't have body odour

What of that sweet smell from babies that is so refreshing? Where does it come? The vernix caseosa, a white, waxy coating that protects and retains moisture for the baby's skin in utero, is thought to be the source of the aroma that newborns emit.

The vernix serves as a lubricant during childbirth, defending the infant from vaginal germs and controlling the temperature. The vernix caseosa helps the newborn adjust to life outside the womb after birth and usually washes off within 24 hours. The aroma might cling to the infant's skin and hair.

We also have to credit baby oil and those sweet-smelling talc powder.

The pleasant smell of a newborn plays a role in parent-child bonding, as it triggers sweet memories, protects against harmful toxins, and causes a bond between the two of them. It makes evolutionary sense for babies to smell good, especially given the messy birth and early child-rearing processes. Imagine the stress of raising a smelly baby.

Why some babies might have bad breath

Interestingly, babies occasionally suffer from oral conditions like halitosis, gingivitis, thrush, and canker sores, but not as frequently as adults do. Since foreign invaders are the primary cause of foul breath and gum infections in babies, breast milk might not be the cause.

Halitosis may result from an infection, a dry mouth, or an object stuck in the baby's nose.

Baby gum disease also develops as a result of the possibility for germs to spread from the lips and tongue because infants like to chew or suck on anything that is placed in front of them.