Sure, it’s embarrassing to have your mom smother you with hugs and kisses, but a new study shows that all that uninhibited maternal love might just make you a happier grown-up.
According to a new study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, babies who receive above-average affection from their mamas grow up to be less anxious, hostile, emotionally distressed adults.
“Even a simple assessment of the quality of the mother-infant interaction at such an early age captures something very important in terms of the future psychological health of that infant,” said Joanna Maselko, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical School, in Durham, North Carolina, according to CNN.
Maselko and her team came up with this conclusion after following nearly 500 infants from infancy into their 30s. When the then-tykes were a mere eight months old, the research team observed the way moms interacted with their kids, using a five-point scale ranging from “negative” to “extravagant.”
Years later, kids with moms who exhibited “extravagant” or “caressing” behavior in that infant study were found to be less anxious adults. They were also less likely to report hostility, distressing social interactions, and psychosomatic symptoms.
So what does this all mean?
Maselko says her research makes a case for more quality time between kids and parents, something the government and employers can foster through longer maternity leaves and subsidizing programs like infant massage classes, which have been shown to improve the parent-child bond.
So moms, don’t worry that all that unabashed cuddling will give your kids mommy issues. Science is on your side.
Photo by doriana_s via stock.xchang.