Mummy Can Kiss it Better – No Really She Can!

Ever wondered why your mother used to be able to fix everything? Research by neurologist Regina Sullivan of NYU medical centre has revealed that a mothers presence can control electrical signalling in an infant rat’s brain to help soothe pain.

Teamed with Gordon Barr, further research has been carried out which has shown that a mothers presence does not only soothe pain but it can alter the critical neural circuitry during brain development. The team carried out analysis on the amygdala region of the brain, which is responsible for processing emotions such as fear and pleasure. They gave mild electric shocks to rats in two groups, one with their mothers present and the other with their mothers absent, patterns of gene expression were shown to differ in the two groups.

This research could provide valuable information as medical procedures on new-born infants is currently very difficult. Pain reduction is an issue as it is hard to detect when infants are in pain and relief methods such as opiates are both harmful and highly addictive. This research provides the suggestion of alternative methods such as environmental stimuli of a mother’s presence or mothers scent to aid pain relief.

However, Sullivan cautions, long term consequences to this method are unknown. Her previous studies have revealed that repeated pain with an attachment figure present, such as a mother, can make the brain more susceptible to psychiatric disorders.