The Power of a Hug…

When I first read this quote, I had to take a step back and think. “Is this true? How many hugs did I get as a kid growing up? How many hugs do I get now? Am I surviving? Am I maintaining? Am I growing? Did I get enough hugs as a child with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD)? Did I need more hugs than someone without CHD? Do genuine hugs actually have a direct impact on heart health?” As my brain filled with questions, my chest started to feel warm, a relaxed smile formed on my face and my eyes brimmed with tears. I knew that this was something I had to investigate.

To get to the bottom of my questions, I had to start at the beginning. My childhood. The question of nature vs. nurture has been around for ages and has created controversy over the years. Hugs fall under the category of nurture while CHD is nature. How did hugs affect my development as a child?

* Intelligence. Children require sensory stimulation for development. Loving and caring skin contact/physical touch are required to grow a healthy brain and strong development. (6)((9)(10)

* Physical Growth. Hugs release a hormone called oxytocin (2). Oxytocin feeds a hormone called Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). A deficiency in IGF-1 has a direct impact on not only bone development, but endocrine system function as well. (7)(8)(9)(10)

*Health. In order to stay healthy, we need to increase the immune system and decrease inflammation in the body. When we are hugged in a loving and caring manner, oxytocin is released which increases the immune system and decreases inflammation by (1)(10):

1. Lowering Blood Pressure

2. Reducing force of muscle contractions

3. Lowering heart rate

4. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system

5. Increasing anti-inflammatory activity

6. Increasing antioxidant activity

7. Increasing glucose uptake.

* Emotional Regulation. Children have not developed the ability to regulate their emotions. By hugging a child, when they are having a meltdown, you are lowering their cortisol levels (the stress hormone) which will allow them to calm down. (5)(6)(10)

* Build Resilience. Hugging promotes a feeling of safety when the world doesn’t make sense. When we feel safe, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and have a spark of hope. Enabling a feeling of hope during tough times helps a child to endure the pain and fear of the unknown and harsh medical procedures. (5)(10)

* Improving Bonds. A gentle, caring touch such as a hug, lets children know that you love them and are there for them. This will improve the bond and trust between an adult and child. (5)(10)

Hugs are so important in the physical, emotional and mental growth of a child. Looking back, I definitely did not have enough hugs from people in my life. Maybe, that was a good thing as hugs can be harmful. Hugs can be harmful when they are not wanted. Some children (and people) do not like to be hugged. This is ok. It is important to listen to the wishes of the child (person). (6) A gentle and caring touch to let them know that you are there for them has shown to have the same benefits as a hug. (10) This brings us to the second point of when you shouldn’t hug or touch a child; when it is not a nurturing and caring hug or touch. Children are intuitive. They know when something is forced or not done out of pure love, which will have negative impacts on their growth and development. (6)(10) I know I sure did. As a child I would readily raise my arms for a hug from some people and I would run and hide from others…to be honest, I actually still do this today. I intuitively know who gives a genuine hug and who gives a forced one.

Now that we know that a hug can impact growth and development, how about our heart health? Can a hug physically improve my heart function? Is there a system to how a hug heals a heart? To answer these questions and many more, let’s follow the science step by step.

1) A Hug. This is the most important part that triggers it all! A gentle and caring hug releases the peptide hormone, Oxytocin (OT). (2)

2) Oxytocin then triggers the release of the cardiac hormone, Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP). Oxytocin can also be used to stimulate the production of lost cardiac cells (1).

3) Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) lowers the levels of the hormones Aldosterone (sodium conservation hormone) and Cortisol (stress hormone). (4)

4) Aldosterone and Cortisol reduce which activates the parasympathetic nervous system which in turn, dilates blood vessels (makes them bigger) and lowers heart rate. (4)

5) Dilated blood vessels and a lower heart rate means that more blood can be circulated through the body which tells the kidneys to induce natriuresis (the release of sodium) (3)(4)

6) Kidneys release sodium which allows fluid to leave the kidneys. This reduces blood volume (the amount of fluid that your heart has to push around the body)(3)

7) Blood Volume is reduced which means that the heart does not have to work as hard to function. (3)

8) Heart Workload is reduced. When the heart does not have to work as hard, it can relax. When it is relaxed, it can start the healing process.

As I look at the process of how a hug can heal a heart, it all starts to make sense. When Oxytocin is continually released over long periods of time, the effects of it on the heart are long term. (2) It all comes down to reducing the workload of a heart so that it can heal and to use Oxytocin to stimulate the production of lost cardiac cells (1). A heart is not the same as a broken leg. You cannot tell it to stop beating, to take a rest for 6 weeks, and put it in a cast. Your heart needs to keep going to keep you alive. So, a heart heals itself when it is at rest. When it can slow down, have less fluid to push around and have reduced inflammation (this can be anything from sugar to stress and more), the heart will have the opportunity to create a healing environment.

Isn’t it amazing that something as simple as a gentle and nurturing hug/touch can have such an effect on child development and heart health? From growth, to intelligence, to resilience to overall health, a hug can have a positive impact. A hug also comes down to one simple feeling. Love. Love each other. Tell someone today that you appreciate them. Hug someone like there is no tomorrow. You will never know how the action of a simple, caring, and loving hug or touch will impact those around you.

References:

1) J.Gutowska, M.Jankowski, J. Antunes-Rodrigues The Role of Oxytocin in Cardiovascular Regulation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3982941/

2) K.Uvnas-Moberg, L. Handlin, M. Petersson Self Soothing Behaviours with Particular Reference to Oxytocin Release Induced by Non-Noxious Sensory Stimulation https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529/full

3) Jolanta Gutkowska, Marek Jankowski, Chantal Lambert, Suhayla Mukaddam-Daher, Hans H. Zingg, and Samuel M. McCann Oxytocin releases atrial natriuretic peptide by combining with oxytocin receptors in the heart https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC23602/

4) S Nakajima, H Suzuki, Y Kageyama, T Takita, T Saruta Hormonal responses to synthetic atrial natriuretic peptide in patients on regular hemodialysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2972150/

5) C. Comaford Are you getting enough hugs? https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2020/08/22/are-you-getting-enough-hugs/?sh=34c63a3a68da

6) Cleveland Clinic How a Hug can Help Your Child https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2020/01/20/how-a-hug-can-help-your-child/

7) Z. Laron Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1): a growth hormone https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1187088/

8) R. Feldman, M. Keren, O. Gross-Rozval, S. Tyano Mother-Child Touch Patterns in Infant Feeding Disorders: Relation to Maternal, Child and Environmental Factors https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(09)61443-X/fulltext

9) Petersson, M., Lundeberg, T., Sohlström, A. et al. Oxytocin increases the survival of musculocutaneous flaps. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Arch Pharmacol 357, 701–704 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00005227

10) P. Li The Importance of Hugging your Child-7 Amazing Benefits https://www.parentingforbrain.com/children-hugging/