Posted on 07/12/2006 2:00:02 PM PDT by Texaggie79
Scientists find that moms consistently rank the stink of their baby's "number two" as No. 1.
In a new study, 13 mothers were asked to sniff soiled diapers belonging to both their own child and others from an unrelated baby. The women consistently ranked the smell of their own child's feces as less revolting than that of other babies.
This effect persisted even when the diapers were purposely mislabeled. One possible explanation is that the mothers were simply more accustomed to their their baby's stink and therefore found it less repulsive. A more intriguing possibility, the researchers say, is that the mothers' reactions are an evolutionary adaptation allowing them to overcome their natural disgust so that they can properly care for their babies.
The study, led by Trevor Case of Macquarie University in Australia, will be detailed in an upcoming issue of the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.
Disgust helps protect us from things that can make us sick, scientists say, but there are circumstances in which the emotion has to be tempered. The caring of an infant is likely one such instance.
"A mother's disgust at her baby's feces has the potential to obstruct her ability to care for her baby and may even affect the strength of the bond she has with her baby," the researchers write....
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
You are, indeed, a fart smeller. :)
I think you're right.
Good advice, but let's hope your girlfriend nor mine ever find out our FR handles.
Umm well you see we've got this grant and......
As a father of many daughters, I printed the article and showed it to Mrs. MWT.
She was underwhelmed.
Australian Taxpayers paid for it
Yeah. I read that after I posted.
is the article trying to point out why lesbians shouldn't have children?
I just have one question... WHY? Why does this study even exist? Why do people pay for a study such as this? Why do people participate in this study. I can hear it now: "You want me to sniff an assortment of WHAT?"
OK, so I may have more than one question.
Who in the world would think of doing this study?
I can picture someone blasted almost off the bar stool saying "Ya know? I think I can get them to pay for a study of people SMELLING baby poop!"
It benefited Fury there.
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