Why are babies so cute?
Your Child and other babies have a round head, large eyes, and chubby cheeks. These characteristics attract our attention and all we want is to care for them.
This biological response is hardwired into our genes so that we can take good care of them. No matter how cute they look, they need our protection for their survival.
Their cuteness makes us happy
Researchers discovered that if you’re going through a collage of pictures and you get to a cute child, your brain will respond differently to the picture. The picture of a baby you find cute activates the pleasure center of your brain that is known as “Nucleus Accumbens.” This causes your body to be flooded with dopamine, which is the hormone that makes us feel happy.
Kinderschema: traits of cuteness
There are some specific features in your baby’s face or body that make you feel happy. These traits of cuteness are referred to as baby schema or kinderschema.
Here a list of the most obvious:
- A round and large head: Your baby is born with an almost fully developed brain. This makes the head large in proportion with the body.
- Large eyes: Human babies have fully grown eyes at birth. This is a point of attraction to most humans.
- Chubby cheeks: Your baby has a high concentration of fat in their cheek. This concentration peaks when the child reaches nine months. This fat makes your baby not only super cute, but also keeps their face warm while they are still so vulnerable.
- Small nose and mouths: Compared to their big eyes and large forehead, the mouth and nose are still tiny.
Note that these features are not only found in humans, but also in some animals like kittens and puppies.
What’s all the cuteness for?
Your Child needs your care to survive. Evolution designed kinderschema to help Your Child and other children to survive. You and other adults are attracted to helpless cute babies so that they get fed first and also looked after when it gets dangerous. A baby schema fades as the child grows. When that happens, you naturally would expect your children to be responsible for taking care of themselves.
What age is the peak of cuteness in a baby?
Numerous surveys suggest that most humans find babies cute from 3 months old. It is at this age that your baby’s schema is more noticed. These features are noticed in their body until around five years. In one survey conducted, it was found that children at 6 months are the cutest. But don’t worry — even if Your Child is past that date, they are still very cute for many more years to come.
