14 DAY TRIAL // Which hand you use is more than a matter of choice. After left handedness has been discovered to be linked to a higher risk to some mental illnesses like schizophrenia, now the way a mother holds her baby has been also linked to her mental stability. Women cradling their babies with their right arm appear to be more likely to be suffering from stress and depression than those employing their left arm. It was long known that most parents cradle their children on their left-hand side, no matter if they are right or left-handed, but why this happens remained a puzzle.
It was linked to a child's head being closer to their mother's heart, hearing the comforting beat, while others connected this to the right half of the brain, which controls the left hand movement and which is in charge with emotions and intuition. The new research was made on 79 mothers. They were put to pick up their babies and cradle them in their arms naturally. On the other hand, their stress level was assessed.
44 of the mothers presented baby-related stress and 32 % of them employed their right arm cradling their child. From the 35 women who reported no symptoms of stress or depression, only 14 % used their right hand.
"The findings could help better identify mothers in a fragile mental state. We have all seen pictures of Princess Diana - she always cradled to the right. However it is a tendency - not an absolute and just because a woman cradles on the right it does not mean she is stressed." said lead researcher Dr Nadja Reissland, a senior lecturer in psychiatry at Durham University.
Earlier this year, a team at the University of Basel in Switzerland put women subjects to plunge their hands into a bucket of cold water before cuddling a doll. The cold water induced a short-term stress.
The stressed women were much more likely to use their right hands compared to those who did not touch the cold water. "Many mothers don't realize they are suffering from stress, or don't want to admit they are. The way they interact with their child is usually the best indicator of their inner mental state. These sorts of feelings can have a huge impact on the relationship between the mother and baby and on the family as a whole. If this stress develops into depression, then the situation can be even worse." added Reissland.