Can a bad mother help her nature?

The old chestnut (debate) about genes and the environment, and how much influence each has on shaping who we are... Could some behaviours be 'written' in your genes? Or is there always room for social intervention?

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article7076033.ece

“We believe that a certain number of these ‘maternal neurons’ need to be ‘switched on’ for good mothering to take place... ...Our research showed that the (rodent) mothers with fewer than this number of ‘maternal neurons’ tended to neglect or abuse their offspring, while those animals with the lowest numbers actually savaged or killed their own young.”

Similar techniques could soon be used to identify human mothers with the capacity to abuse their children...

Hmmm. Crazy world we are headed for.