Moms rule. Okay, that's not the official finding of a new study out of University of Wisconsin-Madison, but it's kind of the take-away message. Researchers there have shown that the sound of a mother's voice over the telephone can help relieve stress - by causing a significant drop in the stress hormone cortisol - in young girls. HealthDay News has more:
The finding was observed among a group of girls (aged 7 to 12) who were initially confronted with having to solve a series of math problems and speak publicly in front of strangers. The task prompted a bump in cortisol levels and the onset of stress.
Afterwards, the children were divided into three groups: one group received in-person comfort from their mothers; the second group talked with their mom by phone; and the third group viewed a 75-minute video designed not to prompt an emotional response.
The result: both phone and in-person maternal contact produced an equally substantial and enduring reprieve from stress and anxiety among the girls.
The study, which appears in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, makes me want to call my mom right now!
Photo by Yuliya Libkina
