Hug/Kiss/Carry Your Baby
by Doctor Laurence H. Miller on 06/11/17In his incredibly informative book Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Dr. Robert Sapolsky, the famed Stanford neuroscientist and primatologist, explains that as animals age, they tend to have higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in their blood.
This causes an increased rate of decline in their health for many reasons.
He describes how the rise occurs: the part of the brain called the hippocampus works to limit and control how much cortisol is secreted by our adrenal glands.
As we age, the hippocampus gradually gets less effective at keeping the cortisol down; AND the higher cortisol levels even INCREASE the failing of the hippocampus at this job. So, a "vicious circle" of increasing damage to the brain and body occur as the cortisol levels go higher and higher.
Now, the good news: If newborn rats in a laboratory were held and caressed for 15 minutes every day while they were pups, something amazing happened.
When their blood level of cortisol was checked when they were old (two years later), all the rats that were held and caressed had much lower cortisol levels than rats that were left in their cages, fed, but not picked up. And the rats who were held appeared younger and were healthier.
There is every reason to believe that this anti-aging treatment will work for human babies too. The more our children are held, hugged, and kissed during their infancy, the better the chance they will be healthier in their OLD AGE.
So tell your friends and relatives to IGNORE those sour pusses who tell you that you will "spoil the baby" if you hold her too much.
Comments (0)
