Can a nurturing mother better a baby’s nature?
Suri Cruise likely won’t remember watching the LA Galaxy vs. Chelsea FC soccer game with celebrity mom Katie Holmes last summer. But these early mother-daughter moments will likely impact Suri way more than she may know.
Science has linked strong mom-and-baby bonds to smarter, healthier and happier children. Turns out, nature -- our DNA -- alone might not guarantee these coveted characteristics. Research reveals nurturing mice mothers can change their pups’ genes for the better. Of course, dads also help shape kids, but moms more often have lifelong effects on infancy because they’re usually a baby’s primary caregiver and therefore have greater influence.
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Can moms raise our IQ?
Kenton Stufflebeam, 11, recently pointed out a mistake at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington. (The Tower of Time exhibit had falsely identified the Precambrian as an era, when it is, in fact, \"a dimensionless unit of time,\" the museum later acknowledged in a letter to Stufflebeam.) Can this fifth-grader thank his mom for making him smart?
Yes, say scientists at McGill University in Montreal. Using mice as a model, researchers studied pups with good mothers, who lovingly licked and groomed their offspring, and pups with mediocre mothers, who generally ignored their offspring outside of feeding time.
The offsprings' “IQs” were put to the test when they became adults. Their goal: To locate a sunken object in a watery labyrinth. Scientists measured mouse smarts by the critters' ability to learn spatial relationships, retain the learned information and by their display of curiosity. The result: The nurtured group outsmarted the less-tended group. Being a mama's boy (or girl) might be a label for gushing, not blushing.";
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Can moms boost our health?
Candace Parker led the University of Tennessee's Lady Vols to their April 8 defeat over Stanford University to capture their eighth NCAA women's basketball title. The day after her team's big win, Parker was picked first in the WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
Parker's physical prowess may lie partly in her genes. But her physical well-being may be linked to her mom's early care.
That's what scientists at the University of Tampere in Finland say. After videotaping mothers and infants aged 8 to 11 weeks, researchers rated the pairs’ bonds based on the Global Rating Scale for Mother-Infant Interaction. Medical evaluations taken of the children two years later revealed that infants who interacted less with their moms tended to be sicker as kids, suffering from more chronic illnesses. Sympathetic mothers may just keep the doctor away.";
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Can moms help us conquer stress?
The Dalai Lama shares a laugh with Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire at a recent conference in Seattle.
The Dalai Lama may keep cool and content thanks to the years of meditation under his belt. But moms can also play a role in children’s success at quelling stress.
Research at the McGill University in Montreal revealed that mouse pups that were often canoodled by their mothers grew into less anxious, more self-assured adults. Good mouse mothers were able to ameliorate their pups' genetic material thereby altering their brains in a way that helps them manage stress better. Compassionate moms may help kids acquire a Zen aura.";
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Can moms make us better friends?
Characters in the \"Sex and the City\" movie, slated for release May 30; (from the left) Charlotte, Carrie, Miranda and Samantha were the best-est of girlfriends on the original hit HBO series.
Do some of us just have greater pal potential than others? If so, can our moms boost it?
Rockville, Md.-based research firm Westat studied the bond between mothers and 1-year-old babies, then followed them as they got older. When the children reached 7 and 1/2, their perceptions of potential playmates were assessed. The insecure children, who had weak bonds with their mothers, did not expect other kids to be emotionally or socially available to them, while secure children, who had strong bonds with their mothers, did -- if the kids in question demonstrated socially acceptable behavior. Warm moms may just spawn social butterflies.
Share your stories: Moms, how did you bond with your babies? Children, tell us your favorite stories your mother told you about you as a baby. Notice any connections between now and then? ";
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