Study: Infant rats can sense their mothers' fear using smell

Study: Infant rats can sense their mothers' fear using smell
(Image credit: iStock)

A new study at the University of Michigan Medical School found that infants may be able to detect their mothers' fear — through smell.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings in the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that infants, or at least infant rats, recognize their mothers' feelings of being threatened by identifying certain smells.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.