Kissing your child’s boo-boos may have benefits beyond providing them with comfort and reassurance. New studies show that early childhood experiences can have a long term effect on health.

Positive childhood experiences can influence a person’s risk for chronic inflammation, which is the immune system’s first defense in fighting disease, by reducing stress that can cause inflammation. The research shows that subjects who had warm, positive relationships with their mothers had fewer genetic markers of inflammation than those with poor relationships.

Low socioeconomic status is often linked with chronic inflammation and chronic disease. New data shows that families who share close relationships can protect children against some of the negative consequences of growing up in poor homes.

“Even bad circumstances can be overridden by good parenting. That lasts for decades and it gets all the way down to your genes.” – Steven Cole, molecular biologist at the University of California

Chronic inflammation is typically linked to a number of conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and certain types of cancer. Close relationships with people other than your mother can also have a positive effect on your inflammation levels.

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Information for this post was found in an article from MSNBC. Click here to read the full article.