ORLANDO, Fla – Loving, caring, protective, strong. There are many ways to describe the connection you have with your mother.
Many would say that the bond between a mother and child is one of the strongest relationships. There’s the physical connection during the pregnancy, followed by the emotional one. But scientists say it goes beyond that, even to a cellular connection.
There are some science-backed facts to prove the strength of your bond with your mother.
First, a mother’s body has cells directly from her child. During pregnancy, cells pass through the placenta from the mother to the baby and vice versa. But scientists say they’ve detected these fetal cells in a woman’s body decades after she had her baby. So, moms do keep a small part of their child with them, long after delivery.
And breastfeeding not only helps a child’s immune system. Hormones such as oxytocin surge in mothers after labor and during breastfeeding, promoting social and emotional bonding between the two.
A mother’s voice is also a powerful thing. Science shows babies can recognize and prefer the sound of their mother’s voice at birth. And studies show when babies and older children hear their mother’s voice, their stress levels instantly go down and oxytocin levels go up. That’s a hormone linked with love and bonding.
One more thing, a strong bond between a mother and their baby can lead to improved cognitive and neurobehavioral development of the child.