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Baby smile response circuits of the parental brain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2010

James E. Swain
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.eduhosh@med.umich.eduhttp://myprofile.cos.com/jameseswain
S. Shaun Ho
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.eduhosh@med.umich.eduhttp://myprofile.cos.com/jameseswain

Abstract

The parent-infant dyad, characterized by contingent social interactions that develop over the first three months postpartum, may depend heavily on parental brain responses to the infant, including the capacity to smile. A range of brain regions may subserve this social key function in parents and contribute to similar capacities in normal infants, capacities that may go awry in circumstances of reduced care.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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