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Touch, closeness and hugging are not just expressions of love and emotions. Modern science today confirms that physical contact plays a crucial role in the development of a child’s brain, especially in the first months and years of life. Children who receive more gentle touch, cuddling and hugs show better neurological development, a higher capacity for learning and stronger emotional stability.
The feeling of safety that a child experiences in a parent’s arms is not just a subjective impression. It has a direct biological and neurological impact on brain development, the nervous system and future behavior.
Touch as the child’s first language
Even before a child’s vision or hearing develops, touch is the first sense through which they get to know the world. A newborn orients itself precisely through touch – the temperature, pressure, the rhythm of the parent’s breathing and heartbeat.
According to experts, several instinctive phases of behavior are activated immediately after birth that lead to physical contact with the mother. Direct skin-to-skin contact helps stabilize:
- the child’s body temperature
- heart rhythm
- breathing
- the level of stress hormones
At the same time, it supports the first bond between child and parent, which is key for their further psychological and physical development.
How touch affects brain development
Research published in medical journals shows that children who are hugged and massaged more often have more active areas of the brain responsible for learning, memory, processing emotions and social behavior.
A child’s brain develops fastest in the first years of life. Every positive touch stimulates neural connections and strengthens the so-called somatosensory cortex – the area of the brain that processes bodily sensations.
Massages and cuddling as support for healthy development
Studies on infant massage have demonstrated a number of positive effects. In children who were regularly given gentle tactile stimulation, the following were observed:
- better sleep patterns
- faster weight gain
- better digestion and bowel movements
- lower levels of irritability
- better neurological activity
In preterm infants the results were even more pronounced – better motor skills, longer periods of wakefulness and faster development.
Oxytocin: the hormone of love and development
One of the key factors behind the positive effect of touch is oxytocin, often referred to as the hormone of love. This hormone is released during breastfeeding, cuddling, hugging and physical closeness.
Oxytocin strengthens the bond between parent and child, promotes a sense of safety and trust, and at the same time influences the development of brain structures that are related to emotions and social behavior.
Interestingly, oxytocin also contributes to the formation of cerebral vascular pathways already in the embryonic period.
What happens when touch is missing
Research shows that a lack of physical contact can have long-term negative effects. Children who objectively received less touch exhibited:
- slower neurological development
- poorer emotional regulation
- higher levels of stress
- lower ability to form relationships
On the other hand, just 10–20 minutes a day devoted to targeted touch was able to significantly improve developmental indicators in some children.
Touch as the foundation of empathy and relationships
Physical contact also plays a crucial role in the development of empathy. Through touch, a child learns to recognize their own body and later the bodies of others. This is precisely the foundation for understanding other people’s emotions.
Final summary
Modern science increasingly confirms what parents have intuitively known for generations: hugging, touch and physical closeness are irreplaceable for a child’s healthy development.
They support brain growth, strengthen immunity, stabilize emotions and create a solid foundation for life. Hugging a child means giving them more than just love – you are giving them a healthier future.
