Published: 14 February 2007
McGill researchers have found that a good dose of motherly love may be enough to alter our genetic code, leaving us less fearful and stressed out in later life. If the finding is confirmed it could lead to dramatic new insights into the effects of upbringing and life experiences on a vast range of medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes and depression. The study, by Moshe Szyf, Michael Meaney, Ian Weaver and their team at McGill, is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.