More Research....

These are some studies on infant care, take from these what you will..

Initial Lessons in Socialization

"When the infant is in a state of helpless fear and panic the amygdala
kicks in and sends messages to the brain to prepare the body for "flight or
fight." An infant can neither fight nor flee. If the panic isn't subdued by
intervention from a nurturing adult, the flood of chemicals and hormones may
rage through the brain, specifically targeting the amygdala and hippocamus, for
an unhealthy length of time.
Crying infants who are unattended have been
known to cry desperately for an hour or more until the amygdala eventually shuts
down. The infant in turn, learns after repeated episodes that it can not expect
comfort and response to its cries, and it may decide its needs are unworthy of
attention and nurturing--a decision which may ultimately affect the infant's
development self-worth.
Even though the brain may eventually determine it is
not in any danger on its own, vital opportunities to develop and reinforce
social lessons in trust, security and empathy may be missed if no attempt is
made by a nurturing caregiver to calm that state of emotional turmoil".

Read the whole article here;
http://web.archive.org/web/20010305082321/babyparenting.about.com/parenting/babyparenting/library/weekly/aa040100b.htm


Also this, a media article in USA Today;


Study: Maternal care affects adult stress
USA Today


"BRIGHTON, England (AP) — The way a mother cares for her baby can determine
how stressed out the child will be as an adult because her nurturing can
permanently change the way the infant's genes operate, new studies on rats
suggest.
"This is a very important study," said Peter Gluckman, a professor of
pediatric and perinatal biology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand,
who was not involved in the research. "It shows us that the expression of genes
in mammals can be permanently changed by how mothers and infants interact and
how that can have long-term effects on behavior and psychiatric health." "

Read the whole article here;
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-06-08-maternal-stress_x.htm