Apparently over-attentive and loving mothers may prepare their children well for the stresses and strains of life, researchers say today.
Their children grow up to be less anxious and less hostile to the world than those starved of mother love, according to a new analysis.
The findings, reported on-line in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, come from an analysis of nearly 500 people in Rhode Island, USA.
Researchers said just six per cent of these experienced high levels of affection from their mothers in infancy. And about ten per cent suffered from little maternal love.
They concluded that the warmer the mother to their child, the lower the distress levels in the adult who emerged later in life.
Researcher Dr Joanna Maselko, of Duke University, Durham, North Caroline, USA, states:
"High levels of maternal affection are likely to facilitate secure attachments and bonding.
"This not only lowers distress, but may also enable a child to develop effective life, social, and coping skills, which will stand them in good stead as adults."
J Epidemiol Community Health 2010; doi 10.1136/jech.2009.097873
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