Posted on July 8, 2008 in latest news
A charming baby smile can activate certain parts of the brain in woman, which stimulates feelings of happiness in her. This has been scientifically proved of course. There is a definite biological origin to this sensation, going by what Dr. Lane Strathearn , assistant professor, department of paediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston has to say. The response was higher in the dopaminergic system of the brain, when the mother responded to her own baby’s smile as compared to an unknown baby.
Dr. Strathearn feels that the stimulus of a baby’s smile was very powerful. It was biologically so. Babies were dependent upon their caregivers who nurtured them. It was in the nature of things for them to respond so. The smile reinforced the relationship between a mother and child or between the caregiver and the child. Such reaction was not observed when a baby cried or had neutral reaction. The findings of this study were published in the July (2008) issue of Pediatrics.
Researchers observed 28 first- time mothers in their last trimester of pregnancy. The type of experiences they had when they were brought and their relationship with parents was also observed. The average of these women was 29 years. Most of them possessed a college degree. Thirteen of them were white, seven were black four were Hispanic and four others categorized themselves as others. Around 20 of them were married.
The women were observed when their babies were 6 months old. They videotaped the babies smiling as well as crying as well as their neutral reaction. As the babies reached their 10 month, the mothers were asked to come in for a MRI scan to see which parts of the brain were activated. On seeing their baby’s photograph, the mothers’ brain network got activated. The system did not get activated when the mothers saw their babies looking sad or neutral.
Dr.Strathern did admit that some mothers faced problems with this natural reward system. They usually did not bond with the child and did not abuse the child.
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