Abstract
For baby odor analyses, noninvasive, stress-free sample collection is important. Using a simple method, we succeeded in obtaining fresh odors from the head of five newborn babies. These odors were chemically analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC × GC-MS), and compared with each other or with the odor of amniotic fluid from the baby’s mother. We identified 31 chemical components of the volatile odors from neonate heads and 21 from amniotic fluid. Although 15 of these components were common to both sources, there was an apparent difference in the GC × GC patterns between the head and amniotic fluid odors, so the neonate head odor might be individually distinct immediately after birth. Therefore, we made artificial mixtures of the major odor components of the neonate head and maternal amniotic fluid, and used psychological tests to examine whether or not these odors could be distinguished from each other. Our data show that the artificial odor of a neonate head could be distinguished from that of amniotic fluid, and that the odors of artificial head odor mixtures could be correctly discriminated for neonates within an hour after birth and at 2 or 3 days of age.
Highlights
For baby odor analyses, noninvasive, stress-free sample collection is important
Odor samples were analyzed by GC × gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), enabling discrimination of different spots which were superimposed in one-dimensional GC-MS
The results of GC × GC-MS analyses focus on the volatile components of the odors
Summary
We succeeded in obtaining fresh odors from the head of five newborn babies These odors were chemically analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC × GC-MS), and compared with each other or with the odor of amniotic fluid from the baby’s mother. It has been suggested that infants are attracted to or soothed by the odor of the amniotic fluid via olfactory learning during the fetal stage[10,11] and later acquire various communication skills through reinforcement learning of favorability associated with their mothers[12,13,14]. The major findings of these experiments are consistent: within several days postpartum, mothers
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