Love and peace across generations: Biobehavioral systems and global partnerships

Love and fear: A special issue

“…The same biological systems that supported social bonds and reproduction enhanced the capacity to overcome fear, stress and disease [ [1] , [4] ]. The absence of supportive social connections leaves social mammals, and especially humans, vulnerable to neuroendocrine and autonomic dysfunctions [ 2 ] and virtually every type of physical and emotional illness [ [1] , [5] ].…”

“…Both love and oxytocin offer promise for interventions that can benefit human health [ [5] , [7] ], including improving the birth experience for mother and child [ 6 ], encouraging lactation, facilitating a healthy physiology, and protecting neonates against adversities [ 11 ]. However, the specific factors regulating the oxytocin pathways [ 4 ] and the physiological benefits of oxytocin, including its role as an anti-inflammatory/anti-oxidant [ 3 ] are only now being recognized.…”

“…However, naturally occurring factors that induce the release of oxytocin, birth and lactation have been difficult to identify, leaving a myriad of basic questions unresolved [ 4 ]. We know in general that birth and experiences in early childhood have effects on the mental and physical health of the baby and mother [ 5 ], yet the mechanisms and especially the positive consequences of these have received shockingly little attention. For example, modern obstetrics often relies on interventions including cesarian section and medications intended to reduce the pain or dangers associated with labor or postpartum blood loss, the long-term consequences of which are largely unstudied [ 6 ].…”

“…Love and psychological safety are critical not only to survival, but also to the capacity for a peaceful world. The biological foundations for love were set in place by evolution, but require constant nurture [ 5 ]. Through awareness of the biological and developmental foundations of human health and resilience we are beginning to identify those aspects of experience that are most essential.…”

“…Through awareness of the biological and developmental foundations of human health and resilience we are beginning to identify those aspects of experience that are most essential. Especially critical among these are pregnancy, birth, lactation [ 6 ], development during early childhood [ 5 ], all of which set the stage for the capacity for a sense of safety and the opportunity for love and nurture across the lifespan [ [3] , [10] ].…”