It's really interesting that you should write this. This afternoon I came
across an abstract that I think is related. I'll paste it following. I think
it is interesting on 2 levels. 1) yes being with mum reduces crying 2) being
with mum isn't simple so perhaps we can reduce crying by putting something
that smells like her next to her. Why oh why doesn't it just say keep baby
with mum?! Oh yes, and we can use mums smell to trick a baby into shoving a
bottle into it's mouth!!!!

Karleen Gribble
Australia
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>     In another realm, babies are expected to cry in the US. It is typical.
> This is a second generation myth, the extension of the first generation
myth
> that babies should be taught to be independent by separating from their
> mothers. In other cultures, where babies are with their mothers, one
doesn't
> hear them crying.

Sullivan RM. Toubas P.
Title
CLINICAL USEFULNESS OF MATERNAL ODOR IN NEWBORNS - SOOTHING AND FEEDING
PREPARATORY RESPONSES

Source
Biology of the Neonate. 74(6):402-408, 1998 Dec.

Abstract
This study assessed the responsiveness of newborn breast- and bottle-fed
infants to presentations of maternal odor, Maternal odor was presented for 1
min to crying, sleeping or awake newborns. The odors were: (1) own mother's
odor - presentation of a hospital gown worn by the baby's mother, (2) other
mother's odor - presentation of a hospital gown of another newborn baby's
mother, (3) clean gown - presentation of a clean hospital gown and (4) no
gown - no gown presented. The results indicated that crying babies stopped
crying when either own mother or other mother odor was presented. Awake
babies responded specifically to their own mother's odor by increasing
mouthing, These results suggest that the practice of presenting the mother's
odor to a distressed infant is of clinical usefulness since it was capable
of attenuating crying. The results also characterized a role for maternal
odor with respect to feeding since presentation of the infant's own mother
odor increased mouthing. Thus, presentation of maternal odor may also be
useful in enhancing nipple acceptance and feeding in newborns. [References:
31]

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