Naturally born babies 'share strong bond with moms'

London, Sept 7 : Babies who are born naturally share a closer bond with their mothers, according to a new study.

The reason, according to the scientists, is that the women are much more emotionally responsive to the cries of babies born without surgery.

Scientists, led by Dr James Swain, of Yale University believe that Caesarean delivery suppresses the production of oxytocin-the bonding promoting hormone in the body. In their study, the scientists from UK and US studied 12 new mothers, fifty percent of whom had gone through a C-section.

The scans revealed that when mothers listened to recordings of their babies crying, the brain regions including those that deal with emotions, empathy and motivation, got activated more in women who had given birth naturally.

"As more women opt to wait until they are older to have children, and by association are more likely to have a Caesarean delivery, these results are important because they provide a better understanding of the basic neurophysiology and psychology of parent-infant attachment," The Daily Mail quoted Swain, as saying.

ANI