So here it is: a new study comes to show that the way we feel throughout our lives may determine our children’s development. It’s all a problem of chemistry: the “chemistry” of happiness or sadness. However, don’t think that the fact that one’s parents had a bad day at work turned him or her into a emo kid. The other factors such as education, family situation and genetic traits remain just as important as before.

What Dr, Halabe Bucay of Research Center Halabe and Darwich, Mexico, wanted to suggest is that different moods lead to the release of certain substances and hormones by the brain, substances that could affect eggs and sperm, which means the offspring too. Some genes may be modified by these substances, which should ultimately influence the way a child develops.

So, one’s depression, generalised happiness or other mental states could lead to some changes at the time of the conception in the child to be born 9 months later.

Prior to this discovery scientists were fully aware of the effects endorphins or drug consumption, especially marijuana and heroin, could have on the development of a baby as they alterned the patterns of the genes.

And talking about genes: the genes you receive from your parents are also very likely to influence or maybe even determine your character ( the old nature versus nurture question).

And still, it seems very likely that one’s parents’ behavior and state of mind before the time of the conception may very well have a say in the way a child will evolve. The idea is more than intriguing and the debate is yet to start. More data is necessary before actually making parents reconsider their lifestyle and level of happiness before having a baby.

sourcr: Elsevier