Research has established the calming effect on maternal scent on newborn infants; however, little research has been done to investigate these olfactory responses outside this sensitive period...Show moreResearch has established the calming effect on maternal scent on newborn infants; however, little research has been done to investigate these olfactory responses outside this sensitive period following birth. Additionally, no research has investigated how scent impacts the cry and sleep behavior within the day care setting, an environment of increasing relevance for child development. In this vein, this study examined the effects of maternal scent on the cry and sleep behavior of infants within the Dutch and Chilean day care settings. During the morning nap time, the cry and sleep behavior of 26 infants between the ages 4-9 month was observed via video recording under three different conditions: Own mother scent, Other mother scent, and Neutral scent. Results indicate that infants exposed to Other mother scent cry less than those exposed to both own mother and neutral scent. Additionally, no effects were found for the amount of hours that the infants spent in day care per week. However, an exploratory analysis between the Dutch and Chilean infants revealed differences in cry behavior. Namely, Chilean infants cried less in both own mother and other mother conditions than the Dutch infants. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the continued calming effect of maternal odor, but suggest that as infants develop, they are no longer calmed by the scent of their own mother. Further investigation of such effects could prove fruitful in the development of effective sleep aids within the day care setting.Show less
Objective: The present exploratory study investigated the role of attachment, maternal scent, and quality of home environment on infant’s quality of sleep in day care. The sample consisted of three...Show moreObjective: The present exploratory study investigated the role of attachment, maternal scent, and quality of home environment on infant’s quality of sleep in day care. The sample consisted of three infants, ranging between four and seven months of age. Mothers completed questionnaires regarding general information about themselves and the usual behavior of their infants. Interaction between mother and infant was assessed through the Attachment During Stress Scale (ADS). The Infant/Toddler HOME (IT-HOME) was used to measure the quality of home environment. An experimental procedure was conducted to evaluate infants’ quality of sleep. T-shirts infused with their own maternal odor, another mother odor, and neutral odors were placed in the cribs during their morning nap. Video recordings were coded to assess the crying before sleep, total cry time, sleep duration, and caregiver intervention in each condition. The three securely attached infants involved in the study cried less before sleep and during the entire nap when exposed to the maternal odor, either from their own or other mothers, as compared with the neutral scent. However, they cried even less with the other mother odor compared with their own mother scent. In terms of sleep duration, two of the infants slept more with their own mother scent. The last baby, who showed a different pattern of sleep duration, had the lowest score on HOME. Several explanations are advanced to explain the preliminary findings and suggestions are made for future research.Show less
