Heightened sense of smell during pregnancy is not yet well understood

Newborns have a strong sense of smell

Babies are drawn to their mother's smell—and the particular odor of their mother's breast milk—within days, even as their vision remains blurry for months after birth. In the womb, the olfactory center also forms in the early stages of development.

Babies taste food in the womb via amniotic fluid, and it may influence future taste buds

Some estimates suggest that around Week 16 during pregnancy, a growing fetus can begin to taste amniotic fluid that contains flavors in the food that their mother consumed, due to taste bud formation. Scientists think those early flavor experiences may influence future taste preferences. Other scientific resources put that time much later, however—around Week 30.

Touch is the first sense a fetus develops in the womb

During gestation, our sense of touch begins to develop around 8 weeks, starting with the development of sensory receptors in the face and, about a month later, in the palms and soles of the feet.

Scent is a stronger memory trigger than sight

Smell is imbued with more emotion than visual memories, and research indicates that smell triggers a significantly greater effect on amygdala activation. Scientists believe these powerful responses occur partly because smell signals bypass the thalamus and go directly to the amygdala and hippocampus, brain areas involved in emotion and memory.

A super-sniffer smelled her husband's Parkinson's disease years ahead of symptoms

She discovered she could smell diseases, including Parkinson's, tuberculosis, Alzheimer's, cancer, and diabetes. Working with an analytic chemist, she's learned she can smell subtle changes in odor—ones that smell consistent across individuals with the same disorder—even before symptoms manifest.

Pregnancy makes someone more attractive to the mosquito species that transmits malaria

Research suggests that hormonal levels can affect mosquito attraction. Pregnancy, in particular, is associated with significantly increased interest from Anopheles mosquitoes, which boosts pregnant women's malaria risk.

Hereditary hyperosmia is the official term for being a super-smeller

Some sniffers with this rare trait may be more sensitive to pleasant smells, while others may be more attuned to unpleasant scents. Some research suggests that certain genetic mutations are associated with a heightened sense of smell.

Nasal congestion is a common side effect of pregnancy, called pregnancy rhinitis

In one recent study, almost 100% of pregnant women experienced this condition in their third trimester. The congestion is likely due to hormonal changes and neurophysiological factors, and it may also worsen at night due to circadian factors and gravitational redistribution when lying down. Treatments include saline nasal irrigation and the use of nasal strips to widen the nasal valve area.

A pregnant woman's brain sheds gray matter, perhaps explaining 'baby brain'

The brain areas involved in processing information and emotions decrease by an average of almost 5% during pregnancy. Researchers discovered in a 2025 study that this mostly temporary change—the brain hadn't fully returned to its normal size six months after pregnancy—seems to be associated with self-reported improved bonding and less hostility toward the child postpartum.

Humans may be able to distinguish more than one trillion scents

That's according to one estimate published in 2014. This figure far exceeds earlier estimates of a human smelling ceiling around 10,000 odors. The newer figure is derived from experiments in which volunteers agreed to sniff varying scents. Researchers mixed odor components and had volunteers sniff the brews to detect subtle scent differences. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

On average, people smell worse if they're sick

For a small 2014 research study, a panel was tasked with sniffing the smelly t-shirts of people who had been injected with a compound known to activate the immune system and those of controls without the shot. It found that those who were acting as if unwell (due to the injection) generally smelled worse. Subsequent work found that those who sniffed unpleasant odors had a mild immune response of their own—perhaps to protect them from disease. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Modern pregnancy tests detect a specific hormone in a woman's urine or blood

They pick up human chorionic gonadotropin, in either blood or urine. The hormone is produced by a woman's reproductive tissues during pregnancy.

Smell retraining can help people with anosmia learn to smell again

Olfactory training, which involves repeatedly smelling a selection of strong odors, teaches your brain to familiarize itself with experiencing smells over a lengthy period, typically multiple months. This can be useful for patients who lose their sense of smell for myriad reasons.

'Old people' smell is real—it's a chemical buildup when fatty acids on the skin oxidize

The chemical composition of body odor seems to change with age. Later in life, we harbor higher concentrations of a chemical compound called 2-nonenal that forms when omega-7 fatty acids on the skin oxidize, and the skin's natural antioxidant defenses weaken. Commonly called "nonenal", it's the smell widely associated with aging, and it's often described as a grassy or greasy odor.

Pregnancy causes a woman's blood volume to increase by up to 50%

This change, to support the developing fetus, puts stress on the heart and blood vessels. A pregnant woman's heart rate also increases as she pumps more blood each minute to support fetal growth.

The importance of volatile aroma compounds in the flavor quality of food

Processes such as air movement and heating cause food to lose aroma molecules, which studies have shown play a major role in our sense of taste. While losing these molecules to the environment leaves fewer to be processed during consumption to intensify flavor, it can also produce previously nonexistent aroma compounds or release previously trapped ones, altering or enhancing the food's flavor.

Finding delight through your five senses

Digging into your immediate senses is shown to benefit your overall psychological well-being, from the happy memories evoked by familiar scents or through the transformative power of birdsong. This episode from the Science of Happiness podcast highlights insights from Gretchen Rubin, an author who has written books on the importance of engaging your senses for a happy life.

What happens during the first eight weeks of pregnancy?

The first weeks of embryonic development, known as embryogenesis, are one of the most critical phases during pregnancy. This simple breakdown from the Khan Academy illustrates what we know about how the complex process unfolds.

Gen Z's love for perfume is boosting sales

Teen boys are the biggest driver in perfume sales as of the summer of 2025. They have increased their spending on fragrances 26% year-over-year as the trend blossoms on TikTok via #PerfumeTok. Additionally, users of weight loss drugs GLP-1 agonists are adding to sales, as they seek olfactory over culinary sensations.

Modern conveniences may be contributing to allergy increases

A combination of genetics and how the environment changes our genes are likely contributing to the rise in allergies. But daily conveniences, such as dishwashers and packaged baby food, also change the level of bacterial exposures in early life, with potential implications for allergy development, experts from Mount Sinai Health System state in this video discussion.

The science of spring fever

Researchers have confirmed what people have sensed for ages: Our emotions during the springtime can go a little wild. This piece breaks down the impact of the seasonal transition on our bodies and prescribes a few ways to mitigate the effects.

When common sounds become disturbing

Misophonia causes certain sounds to feel violating, triggering a "very visceral kind of experience" filled with extremely unpleasant emotions, including annoyance, anger, and disgust. A 2017 study found that people with misophonia have elevated activity in the brain's anterior insula—a region associated with interoception, emotional processing, and behavioral responses—when exposed to trigger sounds. Ongoing research suggests trigger sound context affects the severity and manifestation of the condition.

Study shows singing to babies improves their well-being

In a study of 110 parents and their babies across a span of four months, singing boosted infant mood and reduced fussiness. Follow-up studies are aimed at exploring whether singing can alleviate caregiver stress and postpartum depression.

Perimenopause can last as long as 8 years

Typically lasting around four years, beginning around age 45, some women experience it as early as their 30s. Smoking and thyroid disease are factors that can trigger early perimenopause. Early menopause, which can increase health risks, occurs in about 5% of women. Researchers are still investigating why it occurs.

There’s a lot we still don’t know about goose bumps in humans

Though goose bumps can be associated with changes in skin temperature, the biggest gaps in our understanding are around measuring goose bumps from nonthreatening exposures. These bumps can often occur without our detection, and we have trouble correctly identifying them. The relationship between emotionally induced chills and goose bumps can also be tenuous.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Poison ivy can cause rashes year-round since all parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil that triggers our allergic response.

Fear or disgust related to clusters of holes and cracks, called trypophobia, may stem from evolutionary processes to help us avoid pathogens.

When a Paris department store hesitated to sell Estée Lauder's perfume, she 'accidentally' broke a bottle, causing the smell to spread throughout the store and shoppers to start asking to buy the scent.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings are often assumed to be sexual, though the artist claimed she was simply interested in highlighting the beauty of flowers that most people neglect

When caught in the mouths of cardinal fish, seed shrimp release glowing, bioluminescent chemicals, which alert predators of the cardinal fish, prompting the shrimp's ejection.

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

The Nasdaq's 'Magnificent 7' companies are responsible for roughly 40% of the Nasdaq 100 index's gains, while the remaining 93 companies account for the other 60%.

While atoms are normally made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, exotic ones have been built with antimatter—alternate versions of normal matter that live for fractions of a second and are about a billion times as rare.

The power and influence of the American presidency have expanded significantly over time—far beyond what the founders envisioned.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

This real-time tracking of the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak in May 2026 offers a unique glimpse into the global reach of the outbreak and whether the virus sickened passengers and their communities around the world.

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.

Abraham Lincoln was almost assassinated weeks before his inauguration as he traveled from Illinois to DC through Baltimore in 1861; it took two independent claims for Lincoln to be convinced the threat was real

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Prince's sexually explicit 1984 track 'Darling Nikki' attracted the ire of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that inspired the Parental Advisory sticker, even though the song ends with a Christian message.