A new study is finding that moms who have anxiety are more “in sync” with their babies. There is always going to be a certain and worry when it comes to , childbirth, and motherhood. Mom’s priority is her new baby and making sure that they have everything that they need in life. However, there is a difference in mom worries and medically diagnosed anxiety disorders, and the latter can add an extra level of struggle for new moms. Studies are constantly being done to look at mothers with and how they relate and care for their babies.

According to , mothers who have anxiety show heightened physiological synchrony with their infants. This is based on new information that was published in the journal, Psychological Medicine, and it can be read in full .

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The implications of this study show that anxiety symptoms how parents and their babies regulate stress and this could have an impact on a child’s psychological development. It found that the stress response of mothers who either did not have anxiety or had “less” are less tightly “coupled” with their babies.

To complete the study, 68 mothers who all had 12-month-old infants wore small microphones, video cameras and electrocardiograms around their home. This allowed researchers to observe moms in their natural home and the results would be more accurate. They also made sure they looked at mothers from a wide range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. What they observed was a level of being in-sync with their babies. That means that the levels of anxiety in moms was also seen in their infants. While both anxious and non-anxious mothers showed a response to an infant in stress, anxious mothers were the only ones to show a rise when the level of stress experienced by the infant was minor.

This backs up previous studies and thoughts that a baby is directly “feeding off” the energy of mom, and it is a good reminder for moms who are struggling with their mental health to go and get help. When mom is stressed and unable to navigate these emotions, the infant's level of stress goes up as well, even when they do not have a trigger that should make them upset. It is also important for new moms to call on help if they can. If they feel like they are not able to emotionally manage in a moment, it is beneficial to have someone there to pass the baby to so she can remove herself and work through her emotions in the way she needs to.

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