A new report explains why I have an irrepressible urge to call my mom every time something goes wrong…

Mother’s phone call as comforting as a hug, says oxytocin study

Children know that mum’s got the words when life seems to be getting too much.

Now it seems her voice on the phone can work the same soothing magic as when she is there to give her offspring a comforting cuddle. US scientists believe hearing mother down the line produces the same stress-busting effect on her daughter as physical contact such as a hug or a loving arm round the shoulder.