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Carollo A, Montefalcone P, Bornstein MH, Esposito G. A Scientometric Review of Infant Cry and Caregiver Responsiveness: Literature Trends and Research Gaps over 60 Years of Developmental Study. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1042. [PMID: 37371273 DOI: 10.3390/children10061042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Infant cry is an adaptive signal of distress that elicits timely and mostly appropriate caring behaviors. Caregivers are typically able to decode the meaning of the cry and respond appropriately, but maladaptive caregiver responses are common and, in the worst cases, can lead to harmful events. To tackle the importance of studying cry patterns and caregivers' responses, this review aims to identify key documents and thematic trends in the literature as well as existing research gaps. To do so, we conducted a scientometric review of 723 documents downloaded from Scopus and performed a document co-citation analysis. The most impactful publication was authored by Barr in 1990, which describes typical developmental patterns of infant cry. Six major research thematic clusters emerged from the analysis of the literature. Clusters were renamed "Neonatal Pain Analyzer" (average year of publication = 2002), "Abusive Head Trauma" (average year of publication = 2007), "Oxytocin" (average year of publication = 2009), "Antecedents of Maternal Sensitivity" (average year of publication = 2010), "Neurobiology of Parental Responses" (average year of publication = 2011), and "Hormonal Changes & Cry Responsiveness" (average year of publication = 2016). Research clusters are discussed on the basis of a qualitative inspection of the manuscripts. Current trends in research focus on the neurobiology of caregiver responses and the identification of factors promoting maternal sensitivity. Recent studies have also developed evidence-based strategies for calming crying babies and preventing caregivers' maladaptive responses. From the clusters, two topics conspicuously call for future research: fathers' responsiveness to infant cry and the impact of caregiver relationship quality on cry responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Carollo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Corso Angelo Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Pietro Montefalcone
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Corso Angelo Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Marc H Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- United Nations Children's Fund, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Institute for Fiscal Studies, London WC1E 7AE, UK
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Corso Angelo Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
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Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Verhees MWFT, Lotz AM, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, van IJzendoorn MH. Is paternal oxytocin an oxymoron? Oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, oestradiol and cortisol in emerging fatherhood. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210060. [PMID: 35858109 PMCID: PMC9272151 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
How do hormonal levels in men change from pregnancy to after the birth of their firstborn child, and what is the role of oxytocin, alone or in interplay with other hormones, in explaining variance in their parenting quality? We explored in 73 first-time fathers the development of five hormones that have been suggested to play a role in parenting: oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP), testosterone (T), oestradiol (E2) and cortisol (Cort). In an extended group of fathers (N = 152) we examined associations with fathers’ behaviour with their 2-month-old infants. OT and E2 showed stability from the prenatal to the postnatal assessments, whereas AVP and T decreased significantly, and Cort decreased marginally. OT on its own or in interplay with other hormones was not related to paternal sensitivity. Using an exploratory approach, the interaction between T and E2 emerged as relevant for fathers’ sensitive parenting. Among fathers with high E2, high T was associated with lower sensitivity. Although we did not find evidence for the importance of OT as stand-alone hormone or in interplay with other hormones in this important phase in men's lives, the interaction between T and E2 in explaining variation in paternal behaviour is a promising hypothesis for further research. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martine W. F. T. Verhees
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna M. Lotz
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, University of London, London W1T 7NF, UK
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Witte AM, Riem MME, van der Knaap N, de Moor MHM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. The effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on fathers' neural responses to infant crying: A randomized controlled within-subject study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 140:105731. [PMID: 35334388 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In a randomized double-blind within-subject control study we investigated the effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on neural reactivity to infant cry sounds in 70 first-time fathers in the first year of fatherhood. Additionally, we examined whether effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on neural reactivity were moderated by fathers' early childhood experiences. Neural reactivity to infant cry sounds (versus control sounds) was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Furthermore, participants reported on their childhood experiences of parental harsh discipline and parental love withdrawal. Whole brain analyses revealed no significant effect of vasopressin or oxytocin administration on neural activation in response to infant cry sounds. Region of interest analyses showed decreased amygdala activation in both the oxytocin condition and the vasopressin condition as compared to placebo. We found no moderating effects of fathers' early childhood experiences. Our findings suggest that oxytocin administration may decrease feelings of anxiety or aversion to a crying infant. Whether decreased amygdala activation after vasopressin administration might be explained by contextual factors (e.g., absence of high levels of threat, unfamiliarity of the infant) or represents an affiliative response to infant distress warrants further investigation. Findings of the present study showed that oxytocin and vasopressin are important hormones implicated in neural models of infant cry perception in fatherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands
| | - N van der Knaap
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marleen H M de Moor
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Research Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, London, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Witte AM, de Moor MHM, Majdandžić M, Verhees MWFT, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on human fathers' sensitive and challenging parenting: A randomized within-subject controlled trial. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105175. [PMID: 35430502 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject study examined the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin on fathers' sensitive and challenging parenting behaviors. Furthermore, we examined the moderating role of fathers' early childhood experiences. The sample consisted of 70 fathers with their 2- to 12-month-old infants. All fathers were assigned to each of the three experimental sessions (oxytocin, vasopressin, and placebo), on three separate days, with random order and intervening periods of one to two weeks. Sensitive and challenging parenting behaviors (CPB) were observed during a 10-minute free play task. Results showed no effects of vasopressin administration on paternal sensitivity. Fathers in the oxytocin condition were less sensitive than fathers in the placebo condition, and this effect was moderated by fathers' own childhood experiences: Fathers who reported higher levels of experienced parental love withdrawal were less sensitive in the oxytocin condition as compared to the placebo condition, whereas fathers with less experienced parental love withdrawal showed no difference in sensitivity between the oxytocin and placebo condition. No effects were found of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on fathers' CPB. Our results, although partly unexpected, are largely in line with previous literature showing that oxytocin administration can exert negative effects in individuals with adverse childhood experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Marleen H M de Moor
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mirjana Majdandžić
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Research Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, London, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Lotz AM, Buisman RSM, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Witte AM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Verhees MWFT. Exploring the role of endocrine factors in sensitive parenting in men. Horm Behav 2022; 140:105118. [PMID: 35121300 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parental sensitivity has been studied extensively in parenting research. Recently, there has been increasing attention to endocrine factors that may be related to parental sensitivity, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol. Although hormones do not act in isolation, few studies integrated multiple hormones and examined their combined associations with parental sensitivity. The current study aimed to explore the hormonal correlates of paternal sensitivity by examining in 79 first-time fathers of young infants (2-4 months old) (1) the separate and combined associations of basal oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol levels with sensitivity, and (2) the associations between paternal sensitivity and oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol reactivity following father-infant interactions. We additionally explored whether interactions between the various basal hormone levels could predict paternal sensitivity. Saliva for the quantification of fathers' hormone levels was sampled before and after an interaction with their infant to determine basal levels and reactivity. Results revealed no significant associations between sensitivity and basal hormone levels or reactivity. However, results indicated that cortisol and testosterone interacted in their effects on paternal sensitive parenting. Namely, fathers with low basal cortisol levels showed more sensitivity with increasing T levels, but fathers with high cortisol levels were less sensitive with increasing T levels. However, it should be noted that the latter slope was not significantly different from zero. These findings suggest that variations in parental sensitivity might be better explained by interactions between hormones than by single hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - R S M Buisman
- Forensic Family and Youth Care Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - K Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Intranasal vasopressin like oxytocin increases social attention by influencing top-down control, but additionally enhances bottom-up control. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105412. [PMID: 34537624 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The respective roles of the neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) in modulating social cognition and for therapeutic intervention in autism spectrum disorder have not been fully established. In particular, while numerous studies have demonstrated effects of oxytocin in promoting social attention the role of AVP has not been examined. The present study employed a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PLC)-controlled between-subject design to explore the social- and emotion-specific effects of AVP on both bottom-up and top-down attention processing with a validated emotional anti-saccade eye-tracking paradigm in 80 healthy male subjects (PLC = 40, AVP = 40). Our findings showed that AVP increased the error rate for social (angry, fearful, happy, neutral and sad faces) but not non-social (oval shapes) stimuli during the anti-saccade condition and reduced error rates in the pro-saccade condition. Comparison of these findings with a previous study (sample size: PLC = 33, OXT = 33) using intranasal oxytocin revealed similar effects of the two peptides on anti-saccade errors, although with some difference in effects of specific face emotions, but a significantly greater effect of AVP on pro-saccades. Both peptides also produced a post-task anxiolytic effect by reducing state anxiety. Together these findings suggested that both AVP and OXT decrease goal-directed top-down attention control to social salient stimuli but that AVP more potently increased bottom-up social attentional processing.
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Verhees M, van IJzendoorn MH, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Lotz AM, de Waal N, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Child maltreatment affects fathers’ response to infant crying, not mediated by cortisol or testosterone. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 8:100083. [PMID: 35757672 PMCID: PMC9216419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Parents' ability to appropriately respond to infant crying is essential for parental care and has been found to relate to parents' own childhood experiences. Additionally, childhood experiences can affect endocrine factors, which may subsequently affect behavior. In the current study, preregistered on https://osf.io/hwgtu, we examined in expectant and new fathers (N = 152) associations between experiences of maltreatment in their own childhood, hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations and their ability to modulate handgrip force when exposed to infant crying. Cortisol and testosterone were quantified from the 1 cm of hair most proximal to the scalp using Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Participants were asked to squeeze a handgrip dynamometer at full and half strength while listening to infant cries and control sounds. Results indicated that fathers who experienced more childhood maltreatment used more excessive handgrip force during infant cry sounds. Hair cortisol and testosterone were not related to either experienced childhood maltreatment or handgrip strength modulation. These findings confirm that fathers’ early experiences of maltreatment reduce their ability to modulate their behavioral responses during infant cries, but suggest that hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations do not identify the underlying mechanism of this association. Childhood maltreatment relates to fathers' behavioural responses to infant crying. Childhood maltreatment is unrelated to fathers' hair cortisol and testosterone. Cortisol and testosterone are unrelated to behavioural responses to infant cries.
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Riem MME, Lotz AM, Horstman LI, Cima M, Verhees MWFT, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. A soft baby carrier intervention enhances amygdala responses to infant crying in fathers: A randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 132:105380. [PMID: 34391194 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
New fathers may grow into their parental role through active involvement in childcare. Spending time in physical contact with the child may promote an adaptive transition to fatherhood. In this randomized controlled trial, we tested the effects of a baby carrier intervention on fathers' hormonal and neural functioning. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined whether infant carrying affects neural reactivity to infant crying in first-time fathers, taking into account the role of the hormone oxytocin as a mediating mechanism and fathers' own childhood experiences as a potential moderating factor. Sixty first-time fathers (infant age M = 11.18 weeks, SD = 2.08) were randomly assigned to a baby carrier intervention group (n = 32 fathers) or a control group (n = 28 fathers). Fathers in the intervention group were instructed to use a baby carrier for three weeks, whereas fathers in the control group were instructed to use a baby seat. Before and after the intervention salivary oxytocin was measured and neural reactivity to infant crying was assessed using fMRI. Results showed that the infant carrier intervention increased amygdala reactivity to infant crying compared to the infant seat users. This effect was most pronounced in fathers with experiences of childhood abuse. The carrier intervention did not affect fathers' oxytocin levels. Our findings indicate that spending time in physical contact with the infant may promote attention to and accurate perception of infant signals, in particular in fathers with more adverse childhood experiences. Soft baby carriers may, therefore, facilitate an adaptive transition to fatherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelon M E Riem
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, The Netherlands; Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa I Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike Cima
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, The Netherlands
| | - Martine W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, University of London, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Rybicka M, Kaźmierczak M, Pawlicka P, Łada-Maśko AB, Anikiej-Wiczenbach P, Bielawski KP. (Re-)activity in the caregiving situation: Genetic diversity within Oxytocin-Vasopressin Pathway is associated with salivary oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations in response to contact with a crying infant-simulator. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 131:105294. [PMID: 34102428 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) hormones as well as their receptors (OXTR and AVPR1a) have been deemed crucial for caregiving and sensitive responsiveness to infant cues. However, previous research on genetic polymorphisms and OT and AVP levels in the context of caregiving were sparse and have brought contradictory findings. The aim of this reported observational study was to examine the impact of genetic variations within genes related to OT and AVP signaling pathway on hormones levels' changes in response to the caregiving situation. A total of 221 adult intimate couples (110 childless, non-pregnant and 111 expectant couples) participated in three 10 min sessions, during which they were taking care of a crying life-like simulator. 30 min prior to the first session salivary samples to analyze basal OT and AVP, and polymorphisms in OXTR, AVPR1a and CD38 genes were collected. Subsequent OT and AVP levels were measured 15 min after each session. The two most frequently studied OXTR SNPs (rs53576 and rs2254298) had no or a minor impact on higher OT levels, which were linked to rs1042778, rs13316193, rs2228485, rs2268490, rs4686302 genotypes. AVP levels were affected by rs1042778, rs13316193, rs4686302 and rs237887. OT levels varied depending on the OT (rs2770378, rs4813625), CD38 (rs379686), and 5-HTR2A (rs6314) genotype. OT and AVP levels were also associated with rs6314 (5-HTR2A). AVP levels were linked to ESR1 (rs1884051) and SIM1 (rs3734354) variations. Shorter variants of RS3 and RS1 were associated with lower levels of AVP. In conclusion, analyzed polymorphisms were associated with both the level and changes in OT and AVP hormone levels in the standardized situation of caregiving reactions to infant crying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Rybicka
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Maria Kaźmierczak
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, ul. Jana Bażyńskiego 4, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Paulina Pawlicka
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, ul. Jana Bażyńskiego 4, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Ariadna Beata Łada-Maśko
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, ul. Jana Bażyńskiego 4, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Paulina Anikiej-Wiczenbach
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, ul. Jana Bażyńskiego 4, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Piotr Bielawski
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland.
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Alyousefi‐van Dijk K, van der Knaap N, Buisman RS, Horstman LI, Lotz AM, Riem MME, Schuengel C, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ. White matter integrity moderates the relation between experienced childhood maltreatment and fathers' behavioral response to infant crying. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1399-1414. [PMID: 33200821 PMCID: PMC8451806 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ability to provide appropriate responses to infant distress is vital to paternal care, but may be affected by fathers' experiences of childhood maltreatment. Detrimental effects of childhood maltreatment have been found in the adult brain's white matter fibers, accompanied with impaired emotional and cognitive functioning. In the current study (N = 121), we examined new and expectant fathers' childhood maltreatment experiences (i.e. emotional and physical abuse and neglect), current behavioral responses (i.e. handgrip force) to infant cry sounds, and white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging. First, more exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with more use of excessive handgrip force in response to infant crying by fathers. Second, the association between experienced childhood maltreatment and white matter integrity was not significant in whole-brain analyses. Lastly, we found that the association between maltreatment exposure and excessive handgrip force during infant crying was absent in fathers with high tract integrity in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus. These findings possibly point to insufficient behavioral inhibition or emotional dysregulation in fathers who experienced childhood maltreatment, but buffering for this effect in those with larger integrity in brain fibers connecting the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Alyousefi‐van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Noa van der Knaap
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Renate S.M. Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Lisa I. Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Anna M. Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Madelon M. E. Riem
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Behavioral Science InstituteRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Carlo Schuengel
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marian J. Bakermans‐Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
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Khoddam H, Goldenberg D, Stoycos SA, Horton KT, Marshall N, Cárdenas SI, Kaplan J, Saxbe D. How do expectant fathers respond to infant cry? Examining brain and behavioral responses and the moderating role of testosterone. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 15:437-446. [PMID: 32307534 PMCID: PMC7308657 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Expectant parents’ responses to infant cry may indicate future risk and resiliency in the parent-child relationship. Most studies of parental reactivity to infant cry have focused on mothers, and few studies have focused on expectant fathers, although fathers make important contributions to parenting. Additionally, although different responses to infant cry (behavioral, psychological and neural) are hypothesized to track together, few studies have analyzed them concurrently. The current investigation aimed to address these gaps by characterizing multimodal responses to infant cry within expectant fathers and testing whether prenatal testosterone moderates these responses. Expectant fathers responded to infant cry vs frequency-matched white noise with increased activation in bilateral areas of the temporal lobe involved in processing speech sounds and social and emotional stimuli. Handgrip force, which has been used to measure parents’ reactivity to cry sounds in previous studies, did not differentiate cry from white noise within this sample. Expectant fathers with higher prenatal testosterone showed greater activation in the supramarginal gyrus, left occipital lobe and precuneus cortex to cry sounds. Expectant fathers appear to interpret and process infant cry as a meaningful speech sound and social cue, and testosterone may play a role in expectant fathers’ response to infant cry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Khoddam
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Diane Goldenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sarah A Stoycos
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Katelyn Taline Horton
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Narcis Marshall
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sofia I Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.,Department of Psychology, Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Darby Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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12
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Lotz AM, Verhees MWFT, Horstman LI, Riem MME, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Buisman RSM. Exploring the hormonal and neural correlates of paternal protective behavior to their infants. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:1358-1369. [PMID: 33146413 PMCID: PMC8451880 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Infant protection is an important but largely neglected aspect of parental care. Available theory and research suggest that endocrine levels and neural responses might be biological correlates of protective behavior. However, no research to date examined associations between these neurobiological and behavioral aspects. This study, preregistered on https://osf.io/2acxd, explored the psychobiology of paternal protection in 77 new fathers by combining neural responses to infant-threatening situations, self-reported protective behavior, behavioral observations in a newly developed experimental set-up (Auditory Startling Task), and measurements of testosterone and vasopressin. fMRI analyses validated the role of several brain networks in the processing of infant-threatening situations and indicated replicable findings with the infant-threat paradigm. We found little overlap between observed and reported protective behavior. Robust associations between endocrine levels, neural responses, and paternal protective behavior were absent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martine W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lisa I Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Renate S M Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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13
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Lotz AM, Rijlaarsdam J, Witteman J, Meijer W, van Dijk K, van Ijzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Vasopressin and parental expressed emotion in the transition to fatherhood. Attach Hum Dev 2020; 23:257-273. [PMID: 31997704 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1719427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In the last decades, parenting researchers increasingly focused on the role of fathers in child development. However, it is still largely unknown which factors contribute to fathers' beliefs about their child, which may be crucial in the transition to fatherhood. In the current randomized within-subject experiment, the effect of nasal administration of vasopressin (AVP) on both Five Minute Speech Sample-based (FMSS) expressed emotion and emotional content or prosody was explored in 25 prospectivefathers. Moreover, we explored how the transition to fatherhood affected these FMSS-based parameters, using prenatal and early postnatal measurements. Analyses revealed that FMSS-based expressed emotion and emotional content were correlated, but not affected by prenatal AVP administration. However,child's birth was associated with an increase in positivity and a decrease in emotional prosody, suggesting that the child's birth is more influential with regard to paternal thoughts and feelings than prenatal AVP administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jolien Rijlaarsdam
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Witteman
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn Meijer
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kim van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van Ijzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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14
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Fathers today: design of a randomized controlled trial examining the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in behavioral and neural responses to infant signals. BMC Psychol 2019; 7:81. [PMID: 31843012 PMCID: PMC6915978 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-019-0356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous research has mostly focused on the hormonal, behavioral and neural correlates of maternal caregiving. We present a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject design to examine the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin on parenting behavior and the neural and behavioral responses to infant cry sounds and infant threat. In addition, we will test whether effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration are moderated by fathers’ early childhood experiences. Methods Fifty-five first-time fathers of a child between two and seven months old will participate in three experimental sessions with intervening periods of one to two weeks. Participants self-administer oxytocin, vasopressin or a placebo. Infant-father interactions and protective parenting responses are observed during play. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is used to examine the neural processing of infant cry sounds and infant threat. A handgrip dynamometer is used to measure use of handgrip force when listening to infant cry sounds. Participants report on their childhood experiences of parental love-withdrawal and abuse and neglect. Discussion The results of this study will provide important insights into the hormonal, behavioral and neural correlates of fathers’ parenting behavior during the early phase of fatherhood. Trial registration Dutch Trial Register: NTR (ID: NL8124); Date registered: October 30, 2019.
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15
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Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ, Lotz A, Alyousefi‐van Dijk K, van IJzendoorn M. Birth of a Father: Fathering in the First 1,000 Days. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2019; 13:247-253. [PMID: 31894183 PMCID: PMC6919930 DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As a result of societal changes, fathers participate more actively in child care than they used to. In this article, we propose a context-dependent biobehavioral model of emergent fatherhood in which sociocultural, behavioral, hormonal, and neural factors develop and interact during the first 1,000 days of fatherhood. Sociocultural factors, including different expectations of fathers and varying opportunities for paternal caregiving through paid paternal leave, influence paternal involvement. Levels of hormones (e.g., testosterone, vasopressin, oxytocin, cortisol) predict fathers' parenting behaviors, and involvement in caregiving in turn affects their hormones and brain responses to infant stimuli. The birth of the first child marks the transition to fatherhood and may be a critical period in men's lives, with a smoother transition to fatherhood predicting more optimal involvement by fathers in subsequent years. A focus on prenatal and early postnatal fathering may pave the way for developing interventions that effectively support fathering during pregnancy and in the first years of their children's lives.
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