Maternal love boosts brain development, intelligence

In its article, Your Tango highlights that the science behind family dynamics can be both fascinating and revealing. 

As we grow older, we often lose sight of how much our parents, especially our mothers, have done for us. We forget their sacrifices and the countless ways they’ve supported us, including some things we may not even be aware of. 

A study suggests that our intelligence is linked to those critical X chromosomes. Since women have two X chromosomes, it’s twice as likely that our intelligence is inherited from our mothers.

As Psychology Spot explains, “Those with an extra dose of maternal genes developed a bigger head and brain but had little bodies. Conversely, those with an extra dose of paternal genes had small brains and larger bodies.”

But it’s not just Mom’s chromosomes that contribute to a child’s intelligence—emotional connection and a mother’s love are also key to brain development. 

“The importance of the emotional relationship for the development of the brain has been demonstrated by researchers at the University of Washington, who revealed for the first time that a secure bond and the love of the mother are crucial for the growth of some parts of the brain.”

“These researchers have analyzed for seven years the way mothers relate with their children and have found that when supported emotionally by their children and adequately gratified their intellectual and emotional needs, at age 13 the hippocampus of the kids was 10 per cent greater than that of children of mothers who were emotionally distant. It is worth mentioning that the hippocampus is an area of the brain associated with memory, learning, and stress response.”

So, it seems there’s a science-based explanation for why your dad always avoids arguing with your mom: he knows just how intelligent she is.

By Naila Huseynova