New research into mother-baby bonding

Research from Russia has indicated that mothers cradle their newborns on the left for a specific reason.  Viewing the baby primarily through the left eye activates the right hemisphere of the brain, which is active in functions such as attention, memory and reasoning as well as being associated with communication and bonding.  It is thought that perhaps mothers are better able to assess their baby’s facial expressions whilst holding them in this way.

This bias is also seen in other animals, with researchers identifying 11 species that demonstrate this preference, including kangaroos, horses and orcas. The positioning allows the young to watch their mothers with their left eye, and avoid separation.

The researchers have suggested that this finding could used in studying developmental disorders, especially those associated with reduced eye contact, like autism spectrum disorder.

Read the research paper here and for more on this story see here.