Study Explains How Fathers Bond With Toddlers; fMRI Brain Scans Link Oxytocin To Paternal Nurturing

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A recent study by researchers at Emory University study found that fathers given boosts of the hormone oxytocin show increased activity in brain regions associated with reward and empathy when viewing photos of their kids.

"Our findings add to the evidence that fathers, and not just mothers, undergo hormonal changes that are likely to facilitate increased empathy and motivation to care for their children," lead author, Emory anthropologist and director of the Laboratory for Darwinian Neuroscience, James Rilling said.

He added that their findings also suggest that oxytocin, which is popularly known to play a role in social bonding, could sometimes be used to normalize deficits in paternal motivation including in men suffering from post-partum depression.

The study conducted an investigation into the influence of both oxytocin and vasopressin, which is said to be another hormone linked to social bonding, on the brain function in human fathers. However, previous studies have found that paternal involvement in the activities of toddlers plays a key role in reducing child mortality and morbidity, according to Eurekalert.

It is also claimed that such involvement helps in improving social, psychological and educational outcomes. But not every father takes a "hands-on" approach to caring for his children. In addition, it is already clear to researchers that women undergo dramatic hormonal changes that prepare them for child rearing when they pass through pregnancy.

The researchers noted that most especially Oxytocin, which is traditionally considered to be a maternal hormone as it is being released into the bloodstream during labor and nursing. It also helps to facilitate the processes of birth, bonding with the newborn and milk production.

However, more recent evidence shows that men can also undergo similar hormonal changes when they become fathers, including an increase in oxytocin. The evidence has provided that oxytocin in fathers facilitates the physical stimulation of infants while playing and also the ability to synchronize their emotions with that of their kids.

The researchers, in order to investigate the neural mechanisms that are involved in oxytocin and paternal behavior, used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to compare neural activity in men with and without doses of oxytocin. The doses were administered through a nasal spray.

They also stated that all participants in the study were generally healthy fathers of toddlers who are between the ages of one and two. During the fMRI brain scans, the researchers showed each participant a photo of his child, a photo of another unknown child and also a photo of an unknown adult, according to Science Daily.

The researchers found that participants that are dosed with oxytocin displayed a significantly increased neural activity in brain systems associated with reward and empathy, compared to placebo when viewing photo of their own children. They noted that this increased activity indicates that doses of oxytocin may augment feelings of reward and empathy in fathers, and also their motivation to pay close attention to their children. The findings were published in the journal Hormones and Behavior.

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