University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2023 Oct;156:106332. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106332. Epub 2023 Jul 10.
Despite the important contributions that fathers make to parenting, the neurobiological underpinnings of men's adaptation to parenthood are still not well understood. The current study focuses on prolactin, a hormone that has been extensively linked with reproduction, lactation, and parental behavior in mothers. There is preliminary evidence that prolactin may also reflect the transition to sensitive fatherhood. We sampled prolactin in 91 first-time expectant fathers who participated in a laboratory visit along with their pregnant partners. Fathers' prolactin levels were correlated with their partners' prolactin levels. Men's prolactin levels during their partner's pregnancy were associated with their self-reported antenatal bonding to the unborn infant. Prenatal prolactin levels in fathers also predicted more positive attitudes toward fatherhood at three months postpartum, including lower parenting stress, greater enjoyment of the infant, and a more attunement-oriented parenting style. Within a smaller sample of 32 men who participated in MRI scanning before and after their child's birth, prenatal prolactin also predicted greater reductions in grey matter volume in the left posterior cingulate, left insula, and left nucleus accumbens. In conclusion, men's prenatal prolactin may reflect their perceptions of fatherhood and changes to their perinatal brain structure.
尽管父亲在育儿方面做出了重要贡献，但男性适应父母身份的神经生物学基础仍未得到很好的理解。本研究重点关注催乳素，这是一种与母亲的生殖、哺乳和父母行为广泛相关的激素。有初步证据表明，催乳素也可能反映出向敏感型父亲身份的转变。我们对 91 名首次怀孕的准父亲进行了催乳素采样，他们与怀孕的伴侣一起参加了实验室访问。父亲的催乳素水平与他们伴侣的催乳素水平相关。男性在伴侣怀孕期间的催乳素水平与他们自我报告的对未出生婴儿的产前依恋有关。父亲的产前催乳素水平也预测了产后三个月对父亲身份更积极的态度，包括更低的育儿压力、对婴儿的更多享受以及更注重协调的育儿方式。在参与 MRI 扫描的 32 名男性的较小样本中，产前催乳素也预测了左后扣带回、左岛叶和左伏隔核灰质体积的更大减少。总之，男性的产前催乳素可能反映了他们对父亲身份的认知和围产期大脑结构的变化。
