Epigenetic Effects of Touch

Scientific research now suggests that the physical contact babies receive — like cuddling, holding, and skin-to-skin care — may have lasting biological effects. A study from the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute tracked 94 healthy infants, asking parents to record how much physical contact they gave their babies in the first weeks of life. When those children were about four and a half years old, researchers took DNA samples and found measurable differences in DNA methylation — an epigenetic process that helps control how genes are expressed — between kids who had received high levels of contact and those who hadn’t.

Notably, these differences showed up at several sites in the genome, including in regions linked to immune function and metabolism. Children who had received less early physical contact also tended to have a lower “epigenetic age” than expected for their chronological age, which may reflect slower developmental progress at a molecular level. While scientists are still investigating the long-term implications, this research underscores how responsive caregiving and nurturing touch in infancy can reach all the way down to gene expression. It's Science: Cuddling your baby changes their DNA for the better Motherly