Mother's baby rocking indicates stress

Scientists have discovered that it is possible to determine a mother's stress levels by the way she cradles her baby.

A new study, released today (August 29th), has revealed that mums who cradle their child to their right hand side are displaying extreme signs of stress.

The research, conducted by Durham University, supports previous work that suggests that mothers, regardless of whether they are left or right handed, prefer to cradle their baby to the left.

"Many mothers don't realise they are suffering from stress, or don't want to admit they are," said lead author Dr Nadja Reissland, from Durham University's Department of Psychology.

"The way they interact with their child is usually the best indicator of their inner mental state."

She added: "If this stress develops into depression, then the situation can be even worse."

According to the researchers, at least one in ten women develop post-natal depression.