A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition suggests that nurturing love during the preschool years is linked to healthy brain development especially in areas of learning. This only goes to show that nothing can be greater than a mother's love.
Growth In The Hippocampus
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed a series of brain scans of children from preschool until early adolescents. Researchers noted that there was rapid growth in the hippocampus in kids who had supportive and nurturing mothers, Parents.com reports. In fact, the hippocampus grew twice as much in these kids. The hippocampus is the region of the brain that associated with learning, memory and regulating emotions.
Comparatively, kids whose parents were less supportive during preschool years were found to have a smaller hippocampus. This also appears to be the case with children whose mothers began supporting them during elementary and middle school, Eureka Alert added.
"This study suggests there's a sensitive period when the brain responds more to maternal support," lead author and child psychiatrist Dr. Joan L. Luby said. She's also a professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "The parent-child relationship during the preschool period is vital, even more important than when the child gets older."
The growth in the hippocampus was also closely associated with healthier emotional being when these kids reached their teens. This benefit was notably absent to kids whose parents only began nurturing them later in life.
Related Study
There was a related study conducted in 2009 that highlights the importance of nurturing. Reported in Live Science, researchers observed that primate babies that have close maternal relationships showed better cognitive skills compared to primate babies, who only received the basic necessities like food, shelter and friendship with other primates.
This isn't the only study that seemed to show the benefits of a mother's love. In fact, Harry Harlow conducted a series of experiments on monkeys and found that lack of love and comfort can make these animals go crazy.
All of the studies greatly highlight the importance of parenting during early years. The latest study has applauded mothers, who were able to maintain their cool in stressful situations; not lashing onto their kids when disturbed while working on a task. These mothers who demonstrated remarkable parenting skills have helped their kids become smarter and emotionally healthy later in life.
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