C-Section Deliveries May Impact Mother-Infant Bonding

The results of a new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry indicates that mothers who deliver their children via C-section are less responsive to their babies' cries than those who deliver naturally.  The scientists from the Child Study Center at Yale University who conducted the study believe that natural childbirth releases important hormones for the child and mother.  These hormones impact the responsiveness of the maternal brain.   

"As more women opt to wait until they are older to have children, and by association be more likely to have a caesarean section delivery, these results are important because they could provide better understanding of the basic neurophysiology and psychology of parent-infant attachment," said Dr. James Swain, one of the study's authors.

IMPORTANT:  As was noted in the article on this study on WebMD, "Don't panic or think you did the wrong thing by having a C-section because it may be that these differences are just in the initial phases and it may take the oxytocin awhile to build up after a C-section delivery. Or maybe C-section moms may make up for it later with normal cuddling and hugging and nursing," Swain says.