{
  "id": 61328,
  "title": "Mom or not, caring for babies changes the brain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/mom-or-not-caring-for-babies-changes-the-brain",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-02T21:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-07-mom-babies-brain.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bianca Jones Marlin, an HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar, investigates the neural changes that occur in the brains of individuals who care for babies. Her research, primarily conducted on mice, reveals how biological and environmental factors influence brain function and gene expression.\n\nMarlin's studies show that oxytocin, a hormone crucial for maternal bonding, plays a significant role in a mother mouse's response to her pup's cry. She demonstrated that even female mice that have never given birth can exhibit maternal behavior when exposed to mother mice and their pups. This suggests that prenatal exposure to caregiving hormones can induce caregiving behaviors in offspring without biological relation.\n\nThe research also highlights the role of olfactory senses in caregiving behavior. Mother mice are more likely to prefer the scent of their own pups when exposed to different odors, a preference that requires a specific olfactory receptor neuron. Interestingly, fathers can pass on these olfactory adaptations to their offspring through sperm, even after several months of separation. This adaptation, observed in the locus coeruleus region of the brain, involves norepinephrine production, which triggers a \"fight-or-flight\" response and fear memory formation.\n\nThese findings underscore the complex interplay between sensory perception, hormone regulation, and genetic inheritance in shaping caregiving behaviors. Marlin's work opens new avenues for understanding how ancestral experiences can influence the brains of subsequent generations, potentially impacting various aspects of human and animal behavior.",
  "summary": "Freeman Hrabowski Scholar Bianca Jones Marlin studies how caregiving takes shape in the brain and how some biological adaptations are passed to the next generation.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}