Happier mothers give babies a boost as brainwaves get into synch
THE brains of mothers and their babies harmonise more easily when the adult is happy, a study from Cambridge University has shown.
Researchers discovered that mothers’ and babies’ brains act together in a “mega-network” where brainwaves fall into line, allowing for a greater connection and empathy. But that level of connectivity varies according to the mother’s emotional state. When mothers express more positive emotions, their brains become more strongly connected with their baby’s brain.
A greater connection may help the baby to learn more quickly and its brain to develop more fully. If mothers are happy, it is likely to improve child development.
“Our emotions change the way that our brains share information – positive emotions help us to communicate in a more efficient way,” said Dr Vicky Leong, of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology. “Depression can have a powerfully negative effect on a parent’s ability to establish connections with their baby.
“All the social cues that foster connection are less readily available to the child, so the child doesn’t receive the optimal emotional input it needs.”
The research, published in the journal NeuroImage, used a method called dual electroencephalography (EEG) to look at brain signals of seven pairs of mothers and babies as they interacted.
Positive interaction, with lots of eye contact, enhanced the ability of mother
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and infant brains to operate as a single system, promoting efficient sharing and flow of information.
“When the neural connection between mothers and babies is strong, babies are more ready to learn,” said Dr Leong. “The baby brain has the ability
‘When the neural connection between mothers and babies is strong, babies are more ready to learn’
to change significantly, and changes are driven by the baby’s experiences.
“By using a positive emotional tone, parents can connect better, and stimulate development of mental capacity.” Babies of depressed mothers show less evidence of learning because of a weakened neural connection
“Mothers who experience a persistently negative mental state tend to have less interaction with their baby,” added Dr Leong. “Their speech is often flatter in tone, they make much less eye contact, and are less likely to respond when their baby tries to get attention.” Emotional communication is crucial, yet little is known about its neural underpinnings. The research is the first brain imaging study of related individuals to investigate how babies’ interpersonal neural connectivity with their mothers is affected by the emotional quality of social interaction.
The researchers say their findings apply to other types of bonds, including between couples, friends and siblings, where each person is highly attuned to the other.