Study: Kids Can Reduce Their Stress By Hanging Out With A Best Friend

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new study conducted by Cincinnati pediatricians found that a child's best friend can reduce their stress levels, and that doctors can actually measure the physiological response through the amount of cortisol, a hormone released when the body is stressed.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Drexel College of Medicine, Dr. Mario Cruz, explains that physicians measured amount of cortisol in the children's saliva.

"I think we have known for a long time that children deal better with stress with their friends around, but what was new about this study was that it gave a physiologic reason for this. The study actually measured stress levels, cortisol levels in children's saliva, and what they found was that children who had their best friends around when there was a negative or stressful situation actually had lower cortisol levels," Dr. Cruz says.

Dr. Cruz says children observe much more in their environment then adults think they do, so it's essential you give your child the tools that he or she needs to deal with stress.

Reported by Michelle Durham, KYW Newsradio