Oh hell, @Adirondackwannabe , that is simple. It’s because ”“baby schema activates the nucleus accumbens, a key structure of the mesocorticolimbic system mediating reward processing and appetitive motivation, in nulliparous women [women who have not previously given birth] and this is “the neurophysiologic mechanism by which baby schema promotes human caregiving, regardless of kinship.”
Lol, read the full article which is written more or less in plain English. It’s interesting to link these human responses to brain function. The theory is that we all respond to elements like round faces, stubby noses and high foreheads. It elicits the caregiver response in both men and women. This is an “evolutionary function of enhancing offspring survival.”
It seems to hold true of our response to animals as well as humans, hence the popularity of teddy bears and Mickey Mouse and cute animals at the zoo.