Does the odor of breast milk benefit newborns babies? A Systematic Review: Does the odor of breast milk benefit newborns babies?

Semiha Dertli; Meltem Özcan

Authors

Semiha Dertli Firat University, Faculty of Health Science, Department of Pediatric Nursing, Elazig, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0291-8045
Meltem Özcan Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Health Care Services, Home Patient Care Programme, Erzincan, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3223-6379

Keywords:

Breastmilk odor, feeding, newborn, pain, physiological parameters

Abstract

Many drug and non-drug methods are used for the diagnosis and treatment of newborn babies in a safe environment. Various odor stimulations such as the mother and breast milk odor are stated highly effective on babies. This research aimed to determine the effect of breast milk odor on newborns. This review of published articles in peer-reviewed journals in the past 17 years focused on breast milk odor on newborn. This review includes the results of studies on the effect of breast milk odor. Keywords of “odor”, “olfactive”, “smell”, “scent”, “newborn”, “infant”, “preterm”, “breast milk”, “breast milk odor”, “olfactive stimulation” were searched together or separately from four databases. The breast milk odor was given by means such as cotton, sponge, gauze, olfactometer, and diffuser. In the studies, babies whose breast milk odor was applied pain reduced, physiological parameters positively affected, feeding behavior improved, crying duration shortened, motor activity and grimacing decreased. The breast milk odor was found has a positive effect on pain, feeding, physiological parameters.

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Does the odor of breast milk benefit newborns babies? A Systematic Review