Hormone helps mums bond with new-borns

Humans have the maternal bond between mother and infant written into their genes, a new study claims.

Oxytocin, called the "hormone of love and bonding" was identified by scientists from Israel as the key ingredient in fostering and maintaining strong maternal bonds in humans.

As important to human evolution as it is to child health, the chemical was found to be critically important to the development of parenting.

Professor Ruth Feldman and her colleagues at Bar-Ilan University measured plasma oxytocin from 62 pregnant women during the first and third trimesters and the first month after birth.

They found that mothers with higher levels of the hormone at the beginning of their pregnancy displayed more signs of bonding after birth. However, the study revealed that the relationship between the hormone and bonding was more complicated than expected.

"When mothers touch or hold their infants frequently, oxytocin is increased, and when mothers are prevented from touching, it decreases," Professor Feldman expalined.

"We think that this is part of the reason why mothers and premature infants have difficulty bonding. It is highly recommended that mothers engage in some form of touch after premature birth, such as kangaroo care or massage."

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