Disorganized maternal care can disturb the brain development of the infants which may lead to emotional disorders later in adolescence and adult life. This has been one of the significant findings of a recent study that was published in the journal of Translational Psychiatry -- emphasizing the importance of organized and intensive maternal care.
The UCI News reported the study as conducted by the researchers of the University of California. It shows that everyday interruptions such as attending to text messages and phone calls while nurturing their babies may have a long-lasting impact.
This includes risk behaviors, depression as well as drug seeking in adolescence and adult life. Their key message to all mothers is "to put down their cellphones when caring for their babies."
"It is known that vulnerability to emotional disorders, such as depression, derive from interactions between our genes and the environment, especially during sensitive developmental periods." Dr. Tallie Z. Baram, the Shepard Chair in Neurological Studies at the University of California, Irvine in the U.S. said.
"Our work builds on many showing that maternal care is important for future emotional health. Importantly, it shows that it is not how much maternal care that influences adolescent behavior but the avoidance of fragmented and unpredictable care that is crucial. We might wish to turn off the mobile phone when caring for the baby and be predictable and consistent," she explained.
According to another report of DT Next.in, the researchers examined the emotional results of adolescent rats that are raised in either calm or unruly environment using the mathematical approaches to evaluate the nurturing behaviors of the mothers. The study showed that consistent rhythms and patterns of maternal care are significant for the development of the brain, in which there must be continuous stimuli to confirm the growth of healthy neuron networks.
Dr. Baram said that the infant's brain dopamine receptor pleasure circuits are not mature yet. And these circuits are fuelled by predictable sequences of events that are said to be dangerous for their maturation. If the infants' pleasure system does not develop properly, this may lead to anhedonia which is the inability to feel happy that may take effect during the adolescent stage. Adolescents who might experience the anhedonia may seek pleasure in drugs, alcohol or risky driving, the experts explained.
