(Ivanhoe Newswire) The happy smile of a baby does more than warm a
mother’s heart. It literally makes her glow.
Using magnetic resonance technology, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine
were able to actually see key reward areas of a mother’s brain light up when she
was shown pictures of her smiling baby. The reaction is key in the development
of the maternal bond that is so critical to healthy child development.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, which measures blood flow in the
brain, the research team showed women pictures of their infant with different
expressions. They also showed them pictures of children that were not theirs.
The strength of the reaction depended on the expression on the baby’s face and
whether it was their own child. The team found the strongest reactions when the
baby was smiling and it was her own.
The areas of the brain that were stimulated are associated with the
neurotransmitter dopamine. Among them was the section of the frontal lobe
associated with emotion processing, cognition and motor/behavioral output. These
are the same areas that are associated with drug addiction, which led the team
to describe the maternal reaction as a “natural high”.
Researchers stressed the importance understanding the workings of the
mother-child bond so they can help in cases when it goes wrong. “Neglect and
abuse can result with devastating effects on a child’s development,” said Dr.
Lane Strathearn, assistant professor of pediatrics at BCM and Texas Children’s
Hospital. He went on to say, “Understanding how a mother responds uniquely to
her own infant when smiling or crying may be the first step in understanding the
neural basis of mother-infant attachment.”
SOURCE: Pediatrics, July 7, 2008
