Health

Study: Clingy Babies May Be 'Addicted' To Mom

MIAMI (CBS) ― A new study finds some babies may be born "clingy," almost never letting their mothers out of sight, and the reason may be in their genes.

A gene already known to play a role in drug addiction and alcohol abuse might be making some babies "addicted to mom," reports CBS station WFOR-TV in Miami.

"Want mommy to kiss it?" Lisa Lopez asks her two year old son Ryan. "Right there," he whimpers.

After a kiss, it's all better. While Ryan still likes having his boo-boos kissed, not too long ago he required a lot more of mommy's TLC. Like many normal children Ryan went through a clingy stage.

"At one point when he was younger. He definitely wanted all about mommy. Definitely," Lopez says.

Lori Rogulski's son Tyler is more independent.

"He's middle of the road," Rogulski says, "He's pretty independent and I can sit him down and do things on my own if I need to."

Now, a new government study suggests genetics may pre-program some babies to be extra clingy.

The researchers studied newborn monkeys and found those which had difficulty weaning and separating from their mothers had a different form of a gene that codes for pleasure receptors in the brain.

The same brain receptors have been linked to drug and alcohol abuse in humans. The discovery raises some questions. For instance, is it possible some clingy babies are literally addicted to mom?

"Some babies are more independent, some babies are more physical, some babies are more reserved, some babies sleep," says Corinne Becker, a nurse and infant bonding expert at Memorial Healthcare System. She adds while some babies can experience a mild mommy-withdrawal, that's normal, even important.

"It's a natural need to be held, to be nurtured," she says.

And clinginess can be exhausting for some new parents, but remember it is a very basic form of communication.

"This is what my child needs, how can I best take care of my baby and myself," Becker says.

Studies are currently being conducted to see if the same gene makes human babies more clingy. And if so, are those clingy babies more likely to abuse or become addicted to drugs later in life.

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