Honour your dear mother

Mother love, they say, transcends all other types of love because it is totally unconditional. Celebrating Mother’s Day is a good time to reflect on this first love of our lives.

Infants orphaned after the war were found to have died due to lack of holding, cuddling and mothering even when they were well fed and kept warm in UK orphanages after World War II.

Now research shows that nurturing a child early in life may help them develop a 10 per cent larger hippocampus — a part of the brain that deals with memory, learning and stress responses. Many studies show that a child who is brought up in a nurturing environment has higher EQ and does better in school than others.

Mother’s love is critical for the healthy development of the child. A good caregiver can provide similar support, but it has to be constant and consistent. Even more interesting is the fact that the psychological state of the mother during pregnancy affects the baby who can even then respond to music and his mother’s heartbeat and feelings.

Maybe this Mother’s Day, you could do something for the 5,36,000 Indian mothers who die due to pregnancy related causes every year in India. What is worse is that such a motherless infant has three to 10 times the risk of death, than a child whose mother survives.

Reach out and support an underprivileged mother this year to have a safe childbirth. Food, nutrition, a good doctor and a well-equipped hospital could save her life. This would ensure that one more child will have a nurturing, loving mother.

This month write a love letter to your mother before it is too late. Honour the mothers of your friends. Learn to be a more nurturing mother. If you are a dad, show your appreciation for the privilege of having mother in your home. Happy Mother’s Day!