Background
The nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) has been repeatedly implicated in processes of parent-infant
bonding in animal models; yet, its role in the development of human parenting has
received less attention and no research has addressed the involvement of OT in the
transition to fatherhood.
Methods
Using a prospective longitudinal design, 160 cohabitating mothers and fathers and
their firstborn infant were visited at home during the first postpartum weeks and
again at 6 months postpartum. Mothers' and fathers' plasma OT was analyzed at each
time point with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methodology. Interactions between
each parent and the infant were observed in the postpartum and microcoded for parenting
behavior.
Results
Overall, parental OT increased across the study period and there were no differences
between maternal and paternal OT at each time point. Oxytocin showed high intraindividual
stability across the first 6 months of parenting and the OT levels of husband and
wife were interrelated at both assessments. Maternal OT was related to the amount
of affectionate parenting behaviors, including “motherese” vocalizations, the expression
of positive affect, and affectionate touch, whereas paternal OT correlated with the
degree of stimulatory parenting behaviors, including proprioceptive contact, tactile
stimulation, and object presentation.
Conclusions
Results are the first to describe plasma OT levels in new fathers and mothers across
the transition to parenthood in relation to maternal and paternal typical parenting
behaviors. These data may provide a normative basis for the study of parenting under
conditions of high risk.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 01, 2010
Accepted:
February 5,
2010
Received in revised form:
February 3,
2010
Received:
November 25,
2009
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
