The Atlantic: Resist the temptation to kiss that baby
UC professor says providing comfort is ingrained in humans
If it's not your baby, you probably shouldn't kiss it, The Atlantic reported.
Oriana Aragon, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business
For many people, the urge to touch and kiss babies is strong. Human babies are born extremely vulnerable, and there's a strong desire to provide communal care for them, said Oriana Aragon, a social psychologist and assistant professor of marketing in the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
“It’s programmed into us,” Aragon said. “I’m able to get really strong reactions out of people with just a photograph.”
However, infants' immune systems aren't fully developed, and they're very susceptible to viruses. People's mouths are teeming with germs that often aren't serious for adults but could be dangerous for young children.
Thus, it's best for people outside of a baby's household to keep their lips to themselves.
Featured image at top courtesy of Unsplash.
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