I completely agree!  Babies smell so nice!  Here's some potential reasons why:

1. Babies have a different number and type of active sweat glands than adult humans do.  Humans have two types of sweat glands - merocrine glands that are found throughout the skin for temperature regulation - and apocrine sweat glands, that release sweat into hair starting during puberty (your armpits, genital area).  Babies only have active merocrine glands, and their skin surface area is a lot smaller compared to an adult.  Less stinky glands = better smell!

2. A baby's scent may operate as a pheromone - illiciting a releaser type interaction that changes human behavior. Check out what Richard Doty, Director of the University of Pennsylvania's Smell and Taste Center has to say about them here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527491.100-the-pheromone-myth-sniffing-out-the-truth.html?full=true

On the opposite end of the spectrum if you're looking to learn more about stinky smells and the science behind them, check out Pong-ology here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427392.200-pongology-sniffing-out-a-cure-for-iffy-whiffs.html?page=1

Hey James,

Congratulations on the baby!

I don't have an answer but as a new father myself I have been wondering the same thing. I have been around plenty of babies in the past and not noticed anything remarkable about their smell - apart from the obvious diaper smell!

We have also only washed our son in water without any soap products. We have also just used an unscented aqueous cream - so his smell is completely natural. Some of it is due to his diet - he reminds me a bit of rice pudding, but I do find his smell very attractive. It would not surprise me to find that there is something there to aid bonding. Let's see if anyone else has an answer!

They don't to me! I find it mildly unpleasent.

Then again I've never shown the slightest interest in breeding, so maybe it's genetically connected.