Crying is the only way our baby has to ask us for help. And how not to do it? The baby cries to communicate that he needs something: he is uncomfortable, he is cold, he is hungry or needs to suck, he is in pain, or he simply wants to be in your arms, in contact with you. As you can see, all basic needs; a baby does not have folds nor does he want to manipulate us with his crying.
But what happens in the mother’s brain when she hears her baby cry?
The first reaction, take care of it
His brain reacts with a biological response that prompts the mother to attend to the crying of her baby, take him in her arms, talk to him and reassure him . It is the most common response of mothers, far ahead of other reactions such as distracting or feeding them.
This is confirmed by a study carried out by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) carried out with mothers from different countries, confirming that all cultures react in the same way.
What happens in the mother’s brain?
This universal response led the researchers to analyze what are the brain mechanisms that are activated in the mother when hearing the baby’s cry.
They found that crying activated certain brain regions : Broca’s area and superior temporal regions, both related to the processing of speech and complex sounds; as well as the midbrain and striatum regions associated with child care.
Upon hearing the baby cry, the mother releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone, which motivates her to care for and protect it, as well as norepinephrine , which has important functions in our nervous system, such as wakefulness, motivation or stress. In turn, the heart races and the conductivity of the skin is altered.
The authors conclude that there is a neurobiological and evolutionary basis for the human maternal response to infant crying. The responsiveness of the caregiver is vital for the survival of the baby and therefore for the continuation of the species.
Your baby’s cry is unique
Another study conducted in Tokyo found that mothers are able to distinguish their baby’s crying and laughing from other babies , and that doing so also activates specific circuits in their brain .
The baby’s crying activates brain mechanisms in the mother that make her instinctively come to care for him . That is why one suffers so much when behavioral methods are put into practice, as they are completely contrary to what we are naturally programmed to do: go to a request for help.
Fewer studies have been done with fathers, but these suggest that both fathers and mothers are exactly as able to distinguish their baby’s cry. This ability to identify your own baby’s cry is determined by the time spent with him, not by the gender of the parent.
Always attend to the crying of the baby
Although some say that crying widens the lungs, helps them understand that they cannot have it all and other gossip, there are numerous studies that confirm that a baby’s cry should always be attended to.
It is not possible to spoil a baby by paying attention to him and giving him protection and affection when he needs it. On the contrary, a baby who is usually cared for when he cries will be a healthier, less depressed, kinder, empathetic, and even more productive adult.
A baby, like any baby mammal that feels unsafe and unprotected when away from its mother, feels fear . In reaction to this threat, he cries and his brain increases the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone. If this happens over and over again, the consequences of continued stress during childhood carry over into the rest of life.
As we know, the experiences during the first years of life have a great influence on the rest of our lives. A child’s brain forms a thousand new connections per second in the first three years of life, connections that form the basis of its future. Taking care of the baby’s crying, being aware of his needs, offering him affection, arms, kisses and caresses “nourish” his brain with positive experiences, helping them to grow up healthy, happy and balanced .
In Babies and more | The newborn’s first cry: why does the baby cry at birth
