Study: Neural Circuit in the Brain Contributes to Mothers Waking Up in Response to Their Infants' Cries - Sarmad
A study from Southern Medical University in China revealed a dedicated neural pathway in mothers' brains that increases sensitivity to their infants' crying, affecting their sleep quality.
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
A recent scientific study revealed that mothers’ brains contain a dedicated neural pathway that makes them more sensitive to their infants’ crying during sleep, a phenomenon linked to sleep disturbances and fragmentation in the postpartum period. The results showed that this pathway selectively and rapidly triggers mothers’ awakening to respond to their children’s calls, while ignoring other sounds.
According to the scientific website Medical Xpress, findings from a study conducted by researchers at the Chinese University of Southern Medical School and published in the journal Nature Neuroscience demonstrated a link between motherhood and biological and structural changes in the brain, highlighting the complexity of the neural mechanisms that prioritize signals from offspring during sleep.
Experiments that recorded brain and muscle activity showed that specific neurons in mothers’ brains are more responsive to infants’ cries. Crying sounds prompt cells in the cerebral cortex to send immediate signals to the brain region responsible for regulating sleep and caregiving behaviors.
Researchers also identified a notable increase in dopamine receptor levels within this neural circuit. These changes contribute to making the brain more sensitive exclusively to infants’ cries while disregarding other surrounding sounds.
The results indicated that the effects of motherhood and associated hormonal changes reshape the brain’s response to external stimuli during sleep, providing a scientific explanation for the natural tendency of new mothers to wake up easily when their babies cry, even when another caregiver is present.
The study noted that these findings open new research avenues for understanding documented postpartum disorders. The research team plans to continue investigating links between these neural pathways and the physical and mental health issues faced by mothers.
Researchers pointed out that these results could help clarify the relationship between brain mechanisms and other motherhood-related problems, such as postpartum depression and weight gain. They emphasized the need for further studies to assess the potential development of better care strategies that reduce complications and improve the mental and physical health of mothers.
These findings underscore the importance of brain changes accompanying motherhood in maintaining offspring care and their potential impact on the quality and pattern of sleep among new mothers.
