Normal Delivery = Better Mother Child Bonding

In a latest American research it has been proved through brain scans that without doubt, women having a normal child delivery procedure are better bonded with their babies as compared to those who have had a c-section birth.

The research has proved that women who give birth naturally are seen to be far more responsive to the cries of their babies than the mothers having a caesarian delivery.

The research led by Dr. James Swain has been conducted by a team from the Yale University and has been published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

According to the study, when scans were performed on the brains of 12 women who had delivered babies through the natural delivery process, it was found that brain areas corresponding to motivation and emotions showed greater activity as compared to the rest of the brain, in them.

This, the researchers attribute to the various hormonesdefine released during natural childbirth. It is believed that natural childbirth, which is accompanied by labor, releases the hormone oxytoxin in the mother which is vital in shaping her maternal instincts and behavior towards the baby. Infact labor pains trigger the release of oxytoxin in the body.

On the contrary, since there are no labor pains involved in caesarian, no such hormones are released and thus, these women are often seen to be at a greater risk of suffering from post natal depressiondefine.

When brain scans were carried out on 12 women who had had caesarians, the Yale team realized that, within two to four weeks after childbirth these women were showing brain activity in areas, not just the ones corresponding to their responsiveness to their child but, also those related to their mood. Thus indicating post partum depression tendencies.

Dr. Swain believes that the research would provide people, as well as doctors, an in-depth view of the kind of relationship shared by a mother and baby.

"Our results support the theory that variations in delivery conditions such as with caesarean section, which alters the neuro-hormonal experiences of childbirth, might decrease the responsiveness of the human maternal brain in the early postpartum."

However there are many factors which might have influenced the deductions made from the research as admitted by the team. Some of these could be – that many women might not have chosen to have a caesarian, Instead some clinical complications might have forced them to have one; women could have certain personality traits in them instead of the lack of oxytoxin which would cause a lack of bonding with the baby; and it could also be possible that women having a caesarian were simply disengaged from the process of childbearing since they did not have the baby in the natural way.

Thus, due to such factors which were overlooked by the research, the findings in no way can be generalized as a set rule for all and neither can it be said that the lack of bonding between the caesarian mothers and babies lasts lifelong. There are millions of women around the globe who have had a caesarian and are equally loving to their children.

However, it has been confirmed that women who have a normal delivery respond better to their baby’s cry as compared to the ones who have had a caesarian. It is thus important that the child be handed over to the mother if she is in a condition to hold the baby, immediately after birth in both the cases.

The rates of caesarian are rising by the day around the world, with many women opting this as an easy way out of the process of child birth, quite not realizing the side effects this option comes with. It must thus, be remembered that whatever is natural, is normal and healthy, infact the best for us, unless complications force one to choose else ways.