One of the primary bonds across the mammalian species is the mother-infant bond; however, some mothers just seem a bit more maternal than others do. Now, new research points to the hormone oxytocin as a predictor of the level of bonding between mother and child. Oxytocin, known as the "trust hormone" or the "love hormone," is critically important for the development of parenting. It is elicited during sexual intercourse, and is involved in maintaining close relationships. Animals with no oxytocin exhibit slower pup retrieval and less licking and self-grooming.
Ruth Feldman, of Bar-Ilan University in Israel, conducted the first study to demonstrate the links between oxytocin and bonding in human mothers. Feldman measured oxytocin levels from sixty-two pregnant women during their first trimester, third trimester, and the first postpartum month. Feldmand and her co-researchers also observed the mother and child interact, defining the level of attachment along four aspects: gaze, affect, touch, and vocalization.
The results make fascinating reading. The experiment revealed that initial levels of oxytocin at the first trimester predicted bonding behavior. Therefore, mothers with a high level of the hormone at the beginning of the pregnancy engaged in more bonding behaviors after birth.
Additionally, mothers who had higher levels of oxytocin across the pregnancy and the postpartum month also reported more behaviors that support the formation of an exclusive relationship. These mothers were also more preoccupied by thoughts of checking on the infant, the infant's safety when they are not around, and the infant's future.
This study, in Psychological Science, suggests that women with higher levels of oxytocin during their first trimester are primed to the formation of an exclusive bond with their infants. The findings also show that oxytocin is related to the mental, as well as the behavioral, aspect of bonding. More generally, this study confirms that there is a cross-species continuity in mechanisms that underlie species-specific expressions of bonding.
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Source: Association for Psychological Science
