WVII interviews Hayes about research on opioids, mother-baby relationships

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

November 20, 2019 Research, UMaine in the News

WVII (Channel 7) interviewed Marie Hayes, a professor of psychology at the University of Maine, for a report about her research focused on the relationships between opioid-dependent mothers and their babies. “Opioids shut down the stress circuitry, which is why for people with extreme stress, such as extreme poverty, are vulnerable to addiction to drugs like alcohol or opioids,” Hayes said. Hayes and her research team found that mothers being treated for opioid dependency weren’t as responsive or sensitive toward their babies compared to nondependent mothers with similar socioeconomic backgrounds, WVII reported. This lack of attachment could be related to reduced oxytocin release. “We know that oxytocin is present in social interactions that are positive, like between parents and their children,” said Hayes. Determining how this might affect a child in the long run requires more research. “You might surmise that the quality of the attachment relationship may not be optimum because it’s during this three- to six-month period when these babies were tested, that the mother is the leader or the father is the leader in this attachment response,” she said.