In the 1950' s experiments were done where Rhesus monkeys were taken away from their mothers at a very young age. The scientists provided the monkeys with substitute mothers made of wood. The one mother was covered in a soft wool cloth but gave no food, while the other was given a bottle of milk, but was only a wooden doll with no covering.
The little monkeys would go to the mother with the milk to drink, but when they were finished they left the wooden doll and went over to the other doll that would provide them with comfort. They clung to the substitute mothers covered in wool while they did not spend any time except for drinking milk with the other.
This experiment showed that while food is important, nurturing is even more important.
Although this is a horrible experiment and the monkeys must have felt neglected, it gave us very valuable information.
Babies that are born prematurely thrive with the kangaroo method where they are nurtured by either the mother or the father.
Kangaroo care is a method of holding a baby that involves skin-to-skin contact. The baby, who is typically naked except for a diaper, is placed in an upright position against a parent's bare chest.
Touch is a fundamental need that we have and we are born with a natural instinct for touch. A newborn baby is not taught to hold something in their hands but they naturally seek something to hold on to when they are born.
When we start new relationships all we want to do is touch each other and that obviously leads to more intense touching. Just a hug can mean the world to someone and it also has many great physical advantages as it can lower your blood pressure and releases the hormone oxytocin which is a feel-good hormone.
Oxytocin is a hormone secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, a pea-sized structure at the base of the brain. It's sometimes known as the "cuddle hormone" or the "love hormone," because it is released when people snuggle up or bond socially.
To just touch a person means that you acknowledge them and they feel more important and loved. Go and give someone a hug today, it might mean the world to them.
If you want to find out more about the importance of human touch read this article and it will give you a more intense explanation.
https://drgarybrowntherapy.com/physical-touch-important-relationships/
