We’ve all seen an episode of baby fever. It’s that overwhelming urge a woman gets to have a child. A woman could be walking down the street, see a baby and is drawn to it like a magnet and starts uttering baby talk to the small infant she just met. So, is this a real condition?
And is it really caused by a ticking biological clock, like so many people think? A new study finds the answers.
Is it real?
“Not only does the phenomenon called baby fever exist, it is found in both men and women,” according to researchers from Kansas State University. Gary Brase, associate professor of psychology, and his wife, Sandra Brase, a project coordinator with the university’s College of Education, have spent nearly 10 years researching baby fever: the physical and emotional desire to have a baby.
“Baby fever is this idea out in popular media that at some point in their lives, people get this sudden change in their desire to have children,” Gary Brase said. “While it is often portrayed in women, we noticed it in men, too.”
What factors play a role in baby fever?
The ticking biological clock is a myth. “The first factor is positive exposure, such as holding and cuddling babies, looking after babies and looking at baby clothes and toys that made people want to have a baby,” Brase said.
“The second factor included negative exposure, such as babies crying, children having tantrums and diapers, spit-up or other ‘disgusting’ aspects of babies that made people not want to have a baby. The third factor included trade-offs that come with having children — education, career, money and social life.”
Birth control may also play a role in a couple’s reproduction plan, which we have reported on before.
What’s next in this area of research?
The researchers are planning a follow-up study that focuses on the role of hormones and why people might experience high and low levels of baby fever. Studies into the fears of having children is also in the works.
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