A pram may be the safest place to be if mum’s had botox
NEW mothers who use Botox to get rid of wrinkles are terrifying their babies, according to research.
The research at Harvard University suggests that infants are likely to be frightened and even psychologically harmed by apparently motionless, frozen faces.
Dr Edward Tronick conducted experiments in which mothers kept their faces expressionless as if they’d had the wrinkle-removing injections.
The babies quickly began crying in response to the lack of emotional feedback from their mothers, he found.
Dr Tronick concluded: “Babies who are confronted with an expressionless face cry because they fear the lack of life from it.”
Botox injections have become a common – if controversial – way of combating the effects of ageing.
Celebrities including Courtney Cox, Mariah Carey and Dannii Minogue are among those rumoured to have use Botox to keep wrinkles at bay.
Scots neuro-psychologist David Weeks said the research suggested babies’ development could be harmed by the use of the injections.
He said: “The infants are likely to miss out on milestones vital to progress.
“Babies learn by looking at the most important person in their lives – their mum.
“It’s how they learn to communicate.”
Failing to learn the meaning of facial expressions early in life could affect performance at school, he suggested.
