Growth of the brain through maternal love

If infants receive much attention and love, the brain grows faster

02/02/2012

Experienced toddlers much motherly support and love, so this makes the brain grow faster and better, report American researchers from Washington University in St. Louis in the journal „Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences“. Early childhood emotional affection strengthens cognitive development and later social behavior.

When caring growth of the brain pronounced
Professor of Psychiatry Joan Luby and her colleagues have studied the effects of maternal care on the development of the brain in infants. They found that maternal support in infancy increases the brain area of ​​the hippocampus, which was even evident in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging.

The researchers at Washington University in St. Louis conducted numerous psychological tests on 92 children between the ages of three and six years of age, and subsequently evaluated the development of the brain using imaging techniques after an average of three years. In the tests, the toddlers were also exposed to light stress situations in order to observe their behavior, but also that of the mother. For example, the researchers presented the little one with a colorful gift that was out of their reach. Only after eight minutes were the children allowed to open it. Using a scoring system, the reaction of the children was recorded. In addition, mothers' support and attention was evaluated during the waiting period. In this way, the researchers were also able to consider the maternal care in the follow-up examinations.

On average, three years after the first examinations, all children underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. In the subsequent evaluation, researchers led by Professor Joan Luby found a striking correlation between the growth of the hippocampal brain region and the maternal affection recorded in the first test. Although the development of this brain region (as already known) was also dependent on the sex of the child and other variables (eg psychologically stressing events), factors such as the age or social status of the parents had no significant influence, according to the researchers. In addition, the statistical relationship between the growth of the hippocampal brain region and the maternal affection, according to Prof. Joan Luby and colleagues, was relatively strong, even taking into account the other influencing factors.

Maternal affection strengthened growth of the hippocampus
Increased growth of the hippocampus with maternal care may be crucial for the rest of life, as the specific brain region has a significant impact on memory, emotions and their processing and stress management. Although the first test was only a snapshot of the maternal affection, the researchers believe that this can be interpreted as an indication of the general maternal care for infants. Professor Joan Luby and colleagues assume that the care and support of mothers actually stimulates the growth of important brain regions in infants.

In developmental psychology, this context has been known for some time. "The more pronounced the emotional benefits from a small age, the less mental problems occur later in life," explains Gritli Bertram, a social worker from Hanover. Without sufficient maternal love the emotional maturity often falls by the wayside. The consequences are behavioral problems and mental disorders, according to the expert. (Fp)

Read about:
Mechanism of brain development decoded
Obesity causes the brain to shrink

Picture credits: Lucie Kärcher