Denne undersøgelse viser, at oxytocin (OT) niveauerne stiger hos både mødre og fædre i de første 6 måneder efter fødslen. Mødres OT er relateret til kærlige forældreadfærd, mens fædres OT korrelerer med stimulerende forældreadfærd. Resultaterne giver en normativ basis for at studere forældre under høj risiko.
Titel på undersøgelse:
Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans.
| |
Hele abstrakt på originalsprog:
This prospective longitudinal study examined the role of oxytocin (OT) in the transition to parenthood among 160 cohabitating mothers and fathers of firstborn infants, assessing plasma OT levels and parenting behaviors at two home visits: the first postpartum weeks and 6 months postpartum. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, OT levels were measured, showing an overall increase over time, with no significant differences between maternal and paternal levels, high intraindividual stability, and interrelated OT levels between partners at both time points. Observed and microcoded parent-infant interactions revealed distinct OT-behavior links: maternal OT correlated with affectionate behaviors like “motherese” vocalizations, positive affect, and affectionate touch, while paternal OT was associated with stimulatory behaviors, including proprioceptive contact, tactile stimulation, and object presentation. This pioneering study of OT in new fathers and mothers provides normative data on its role in early parenting, potentially informing future research on parenting under high-risk conditions.