Studying the Science of Hugging on National Hugging Day

{A fun guest post by fellow parenting blogger Neve Spicer about the science of hugging. If you’re struggling with parenting this week, maybe a hug will help everyone involved.}

Scooping up our kids for a hug or kiss, welcoming them home from school with an embrace — these expressions of love are ones we give without a second thought. They foster bonds, provide love and reassurance, and just feel good for everyone involved.

Thanks to investigative research, we now know that hugging isn’t just a feel-good activity because of the love we have for our families. There are scientifically-proven biological and psychological benefits to giving and receiving hugs that are well worth noting.

National Hugging Day, which takes place this January 21, offers families a great reason to take a closer look at the ways hugs can positively impact health. Though the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means celebrations of the event must take place only within your household, it’s still a pertinent reminder of why those hugs and cuddles are meaningful and should take place regularly.

Some highlights:

• Hugs reduce the presence of proinflammatory cytokines: When your body experiences chronic inflammation, it responds via the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Untreated, the presence of these chemicals is linked with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. Daily hugs predict lower levels of two important proinflammatory cytokines, reducing disease risk. [1]

• Being cuddled speeds infant healing in the NICU: When babies are born prematurely, a variety of medical interventions may be needed in order to aid them in their survival and help them grow and thrive; this treatment happens in the NICU. While a NICU stay often limits the amount of physical contact parents may have with their child, evidence demonstrates that the cuddles they do receive may enable them to heal more quickly. [2]
• Hugging increases our microbiome: It’s certainly true that not-so-nice bacteria can be transferred while hugging, but the “good” bacteria that creates our microbiome, safeguards us from illness, and helps us maintain healthy digestion is obtained partially through contact with others — hugs, for example. [3]

More information about National Hugging Day’s history is available on the event’s web portal.