Smells and memory – how smells from their newborn days might influence your toddler’s preferences

Does a particular smell immediately conjure up a vivid memory of a person or place? Your toddler is starting to show you that they are noticing smells – but what’s really amazing is that scientists think your toddler remembers smells from when they were a newborn and that these memories might influence what they do.  

Two types of long-term memory – implicit and explicit 

Implicit memory doesn’t involve us consciously recalling events or even being aware that we are remembering something.  

This type of memory helps us with routine things like getting dressed or making a cup of tea – we don’t need to think about how we do it because we know.  

Implicit memory is interesting, because while your toddler might not be able to tell you what they remember, their responses might be influenced by memories of previous experiences. 

Explicit memory involves remembering facts or events. We consciously recall information, which could be personal events or general knowledge.  

Your toddler has had favourite smells since they were born 

Scientists have found that newborn babies show a preference for smells they’ve experienced in the womb.  

And in research published in 2010, psychologists found that toddlers remembered smells from their first weeks of life.^[1] 

This means your toddler might have some smell and taste preferences that are linked to their experiences as a newborn (and maybe before birth) 

Smell and taste are closely linked and as your toddler develops, they will use these senses together to get information about what they eat.  

As an example, it’s not unusual for young children to dislike bitter flavours – but if they experienced bitter tastes and smells in amniotic fluid or during their first month, they might be less likely to reject these flavours.^[2]  

We know you can’t go back in time and change what smells and tastes your toddler experienced before birth and during their first weeks on Earth. But understanding this link to early experiences – and your toddler’s implicit memory – can be interesting and may help you understand their preferences.  

Why not talk about smells, tastes and textures when you’re cooking or eating together? 

The more your toddler explores food (with no pressure to eat it), the more likely they are to keep tasting a wide variety of things.  

References: 

[1] Delaunay-El Allam, M., Soussignan, R., Patris, B., Marlier, L., Schaal, B. (2010) Long- lasting memory for an odor acquired at the mother’s breast. Developmental Science, 13(6), 849-863.  

[2] Byrne, E. (2021). How to Build a Human. Souvenir Press.