Schaal B, Montagner H, Hertling E, Bolzoni D, Moyse A, Quichon R
Reprod Nutr Dev (1980). 1980;20(3B):843-58.
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.
在本文中，我们报告了关于母婴之间相互嗅觉识别的新数据。自出生起就对新生儿进行拍摄。当在临床医院母亲的房间里醒来时，他们面对一块浸有母亲各种分泌物的棉垫、一块浸有另一位母亲相同分泌物的棉垫或一块没有特定气味的棉垫。我们采用了双盲技术。通过逐帧分析影片，我们发现，鼻子接触到“母亲”棉垫的婴儿，其鼻子和手臂扫过的整个区域显著减少。该方法可用于研究婴儿的其他感官能力。还运用双盲原则测试了母亲相对于婴儿的嗅觉能力。我们发现：（i）在出生后的第3天和第4天，大多数母亲能识别出婴儿的气味；（ii）这种能力从第4天到第6天下降，最后（iii）从第8天起又有所增强。对这些结果进行了讨论。我们还发现，3至5岁的儿童中有三分之一更常选择一件母亲贴身穿着2至3天的T恤，而不是其他任何T恤（由陌生母亲穿着或没有特定气味）。看来嗅觉线索可能在婴儿与母亲的依恋关系中发挥作用，并且在孩子3至5岁时，嗅觉线索仍参与这一过程。
