New research reveals that hugging your child often from birth has a positive impact on how their brain develops.

The studies show that during the developmental stages, babies respond to touch and affection which triggers growth in their brains and they thus become smarter.

Research conducted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio studied 125 babies, some of them born prematurely and others at full-term to note the effects of consistent touch and embraces. The studies showed that skin to skin care, hugs and breastfeeding impacted brain development, causing it to occur at a faster and healthier rate.

More benefits of hugging

Hugging releases oxytocin which is a positive hormone that elicits feelings of joy and love in human beings. Hugging and embracing your baby can lead to them to feeling loved and wanted.

Hugging can reduce stress hormones in children as the release of oxytocin prevents the harmful effects of stress related hormones such as cortisol. Studies reveal that exposing your child to cortisol too early impedes their growth and health and even compromises their immune system. It also affects their memory and verbal reasoning when they grow older.

Gentle hugging provides multiple benefits to your child which also includes a closer emotional bond between mother and child, emotional regulation and happiness which boosts self-confidence and their self-esteem.

What the experts say

A 2012 study by the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis found that the brain region that holds the memory, learning and stress response, the hippocampus was 10 percent larger in babies who come from a nurturing environment.

The larger the size of the hippocampus, the more a baby will respond to learning, boosting their cognitive development.

“There really is research that proves there’s significant impact on brain size. They looked at mothers in particular. They found that when mothers nurture through hugs and obviously emotional support, even right through pre-school, they see growth in the brain called the hippocampus, and that’s the part of the brain which is associated with higher emotional functioning right into teen years. So there’s some fascinating long-term effects,” psychologist Collet Smart told Hope1032.com.