Infants whose mothers regularly use language to describe what their child is thinking or feeling, were found to have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin. — AFP
OXYTOXIN, known as the love, attachment or pleasure hormone, plays an essential role in social interaction mechanisms.
In particular, it influences mother-child attachment. A British study, published in the journal Development and Psychopathology, claims that infants whose mothers regularly use language to describe what their child is thinking or feeling have higher levels of oxytocin.
A research team from University College London came to this conclusion after conducting an experiment involving 62 mothers aged between 23 and 44 and their babies, ranging in age from three to nine months.
The researchers analysed and recorded spontaneous interactions between the mothers and their babies over a five-minute period.
They were interested in how the mothers use language to describe what their child is thinking or feeling, saying things like “you like that toy” or “you’re curious, aren’t you?” At the same time, a sample was taken from each baby to measure their oxytocin levels as they interacted with their mother.
The results showed that the more mothers interpreted and communicated their children’s feelings or emotions, the more oxytocin their children secreted.
This is a major discovery, according to study coauthor, Dr Kate Lindley Baron-Cohen.
“We have, for the first time, discovered that the amount that a mother talks to their infant about their infant’s thoughts and feelings is directly correlated with their infant’s oxytocin levels. This suggests that oxytocin is involved in regulating children’s early social experience, and this is itself shaped by the way a parent interacts with their infant,” the researcher said in a statement.
But analysing and verbalising an infant’s emotions is not self-evident for all mothers.
Mothers suffering from postpartum depression, for example, tend to do so less frequently. This is a legitimate cause for concern. Although they may seem trivial, these interactions have a profound and long-term influence on the social and emotional skills of infants.
Hence the importance of taking action and detecting postpartum depression in mothers as early as possible, to prevent this pathology from affecting early interactions between mother and baby.
This study is part of a growing body of scientific work highlighting the role of oxytocin, not simply as a biological indicator, but as a key element in infants’ early relational and emotional interactions. It remains to be seen whether these advances will encourage parents to adapt their behavior to take full advantage of the benefits of this hormone. – AFP Relaxnews
