Cuddling with Baby: Can Love Affect DNA?
Scientists have found that cuddling with a baby has a major impact on the child’s development: love and physical contact not only shape your bond with each other and the nature of your offspring – they even have an influence on their DNA, as a new study shows.
Does your baby only fall asleep with physical contact? Is it constantly looking for you and doesn’t want to let you go? There is nothing reprehensible about that – on the contrary! The loving caresses that you give your baby not only affect the bonding and your relationship – they also have another special effect, as researchers have now discovered.
Cuddling with a baby: love changes the DNA of the baby
A study by the University of British Columbia and the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute found that physical proximity between mother and infant can affect DNA.
A total of 94 children were examined for this study. When the infants were five weeks old, the parents were instructed to keep a diary of the babies’ behavior. They documented how much and how long the baby slept, cried and was fed. In addition, they were asked to write down how long they cuddled their baby each day. When the children were four and a half years old, the researchers then examined their DNA – and came to amazing results.
DNA and physical contact
In the children’s DNA, they discovered a so-called DNA methylation, a biochemical change in the basic building blocks of the genetic material, at several points. DNA methylation acts as a kind of “silencing switch” and regulates how active cells are and how they function. Methylation can be influenced by external stimuli and occurs particularly in infancy and childhood.
When comparing the DNA and evaluating the diary entries, it emerged that children who were exposed to more stress and experienced less physical contact with their parents had an underdeveloped molecular profile of the cells for their age. The researchers concluded from this that these children are also lagging behind in their biological development.
What is the effect of cuddling?
The researchers discovered a total of five differences in DNA methylation between the children who received a lot of love and those who were hardly cuddled. Two of them relate to genetic material: one plays a role in relation to the immune system, the other in relation to metabolism.
However, according to the researchers – and the current state of knowledge – the binding effects on the health and development of the child are unclear. However, recent studies have shown that a discrepancy between epigenetic and chronological age can result in poor health.
“We will continue to research this ‘biological immaturity’ and see if it is an indicator of health, particularly psychological development,” said Sarah Moore, author of the study. “If further research supports our original findings, it will reinforce the importance of physical contact – especially in relation to crying and unhappy infants.”
If your baby wakes up during the night and needs physical contact to fall asleep, you should definitely comply with his request. After all, you are supporting his health and development 🙂