Mother's affection towards her child helps it cope better with adult stress, study suggests
Last updated 7/27/2010 11:26:22 AM
Mothers affection towards her child helps it cope better with adult stress study suggests
The affection given to a young child by its mother can make it better able to cope with the stresses and strains of life as an adult, a study has found.
Emotional resilience is boosted by a mum's hugs, kisses and expressive declarations of love, according to the research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
This comfort not only lowers distress but may also help a child to develop effective life, social, and coping skills, which will stand them in good stead as adults.
Nearly 500 people from the US state of Rhode Island were studied as children and adults. A psychologist rated the quality of interactions between the mothers and their eight-month-old children during a routine developmental check-up.
The researchers approached the youngsters thirty years on and asked them to take part in a survey about their well-being and emotions as adults.The children of warm mothers were far better at dealing with anxiety than those of emotionally cold mothers.
"What you really want is responsiveness as well as affection - a mother who is in sync with her baby," said Cambridge psychologist Dr Terri Apter said in response to the findings.