Since birth, babies have been faced with a constant flow of sensory information, with one of their main tasks being the ability to recognize important categories, particularly faces. According to Cognitive neurobiologist Arno from the University of Burgundy, faces are one of the most significant visual signals that children start to distinguish as early as the first month of life.
Researchers are exploring how newborns utilize various senses to identify faces. Studies show that babies perceive faces better when sound accompanies the image. Recent data also suggest that odors play a crucial role. Visual development specialist Dexker from the University College of London notes that while it has been understood for a while that babies can combine different sensations, the role of smell in this process was not clear until recently, as smells were not as quickly associated with specific events.
In a recent study published in the journal Child Development, scientists have confirmed that infants’ perception of people is heightened by the smell of their mother, but this effect diminishes as they grow older. These findings enhance our understanding of how multisensory perception contributes to early development.
In the experiment, the Leleu team used electroencephalography to record brain activity of 50 babies aged 4 to 12 months. The children were shown a series of images, with every sixth image being a person’s face and the rest animals or objects. The researchers hypothesized that if babies were paying special attention to faces, it would be reflected in bursts of brain activity recorded by electrodes above areas of the brain responsible for visual processing. Additionally, the children were given t-shirts either clean or infused with their mother’s scent.
The results indicated that the brain’s reaction to faces becomes more enhanced and complex with age. However, it was also observed that the smell of the mother heightened attention to faces in younger babies, with this effect gradually diminishing in older children. Dexker comments that this suggests babies may rely more on their mother’s scent as their visual face recognition abilities are still developing, given that visual abilities are weak in newborns while the sense of smell develops relatively early.
This study underscores the importance of multisensory input in the early months of life. Utilizing all senses is crucial for children’s learning, as sensory perception forms the basis for concepts, language, and memory. Leleu’s research on the influence of odors on perception continues, including in different age groups. Studies show that even adults rely on smell for recognition in challenging tasks.