Pair of UB Studies Show Protective Effects of a Mother’s Love

A news story showing the protective effects of a mother's love highlights findings from two recently published studies, both of which reveal how maternal affection benefits the physical and mental health of infants and adolescents. The first study, by Jennifer Livingston, PhD, associate professor in the School of Nursing, shows that teens who see their mothers as warm and accepting are less likely to enter abusive relationships. The second, by Kai Ling Kong, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, found that mothers who are more engaged in active play with infants at high risk for childhood obesity may mitigate some obesity risk factors. The story notes that both studies originated with UB’s Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions and with the work of Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD, its director.