Conclusions
The present study highlighted a sexual dimorphism in the neonatal neural
processing of affective touch, a social cue known to play a key role in
the early foundation of lifelong socio-emotional wellbeing. Early sexual
dimorphic brain development may support marked diversities in
reproductive, parental, and social behavior later in life. As many of
the observed brain responses to affective touch were subcortical,
further fMRI studies including additional tactile stimuli and
longitudinal designs are required to assess the sex-specificity of
neural responses to socio-affective tactile stimulation and its
implications for child development.