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Turning bad parents into good parents is often the work of social workers, teachers or even a number of TV chat show hosts.

But research from Harvard University suggests there might be an easier option.

The scientists claim to have found a 'switch' in the brain of male mice that can turn troublesome fathers into doting dads.

Research from Harvard University has shown that the level of aggressiveness shown by adult mice to pups can be altered by destroying groups of neurons in their brains. This suggests there is a switch that decides how nurturing mammals will be to younglings

The study, published in the journal Nature, was led by Catherine Dulac, a professor of molecular and cell biology at Harvard University.

The research focuses on a group of neurons in the brains of mice that have been linked to paternal care.

By shining a light to trigger specific brain cells, the scientists were able to change the approach to parenting of male mice.

There are, of course, obvious difference between human parenting and mice parenting.

Notably in the former there are a host of complexities involved including social and cultural experiences.

Nonetheless, at a basic level the researchers say the study provides some key insight into how the brain works with regards to parenting.

'The fact that we are mammals means we certainly have those neurons as well,' Dulac told the Boston Globe.

And she says while the study only focused on male mice it could just as easily be applied to females.

Indeed, she says that the finding that males and females share this key brain circuit suggests dads have the same potential to be as nurturing as mums.

Although the research was only carried out in mice, the scientists say the results could also be applied to humans and other mammals. However, as human brains are much more complex it would be much harder to replicate the results in people

In the research they focused on species of mice where the males were known to attack the children of others.

But they would cease the aggressive behaviour when their own pups were due, three weeks after mating with a female.

The researchers searched the brain for the neurons that might be responsible for this change in behaviour and focused on a region known for sensing pheromones.

These scents influence the behaviour of other animals, and was thought to be important in mating.

By destroying brain cells in that region, the aggressive nature of virgin male mice was found to drastically decrease.

Instead of attacking young pups, they would nurture them and even build them nests.

Conversely, when they destroyed nerve cells in the middle of the brain in female mice, they made the mothers act more aggressively.