A team of researchers from Texas Children's Hospital examined 28 first-time moms who were shown the pictures of their 5-10 months aged babies. Half of these moms were breastfeeding at the moment. Moms were checked by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan to see what is going on in their brains when smiling baby's photo is shown.

Researchers found that baby's smile activate mom's brain parts which are responsible for reward and pleasure feelings. Whenever mom sees her baby smiling, she is ready to do whats impossible to get food or water, which is necessary for baby's survival.

Apart from this feeling mother also experiences natural high - the same feeling when people are having when taking cocaine or nicotine. When looking at smiling baby's picture mothers brain boosted dopamine chemical, which is already boosted when people take drugs.

Researchers also showed pictures of babies with other expressions, such as sad, crying or neutral. Brain scans showed that smiling babies have the most powerful impact on mother's brain. Smiling babies of other moms did not make any significant changes in brain. However, crying babies affecting both their mom's and other women's brain equally.

This research explain how people become addicted to drugs - it happens, because people take drugs as something very important for life and are ready to do everything to get drugs, just as mother do when their babies need anything.

Researchers also explain why maternity feelings and the link between mother and child are so strong. Mother's attention to her baby is one of the most important things for child's development. Sometimes, when mother's inadequately respond to baby's presence, children suffer too much. This study makes it possible to treat such moms by targeting certain parts of brain.

Source: Reported by Ruzanna Haroutiunyan for eMaxHealth Parenting