[throwaway010718]

IIRC DNA methylation (sp?) is used in blood tests to determine the rate at which you are aging biologically. This article does claim that the children who are touched less develop at a slower in addition to having a lower DNA methylation. So in a sense, the less a child is touched, the slower the child ages biologically according to this marker and observation.

Anecdotally, there are environmental situations where animals can significantly increase life-expectancy but at the expense of delayed sexual maturity.

It would be interesting, but of course not conclusive, to see if these children experience puberty later and if they also live longer. Perhaps some neglect has some benefit.

[pgt]

Being touched is an undeniable signal you are surrounded by the tribe, which triggers the reproductive sequence, since it takes a village to raise a child.

[blowski]

That would make a good sci-fi - an army of sociopaths that live until they’re 200 years old.

[bane]

Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan is basically this.

[winrid]

Except babies die if you don't touch them.