Posted created by Jill
The Netflix documentary series Babies analyzes the connection between infants and their parents throughout pregnancy, nursing, and the first year of life. Several studies which focus on the levels of hormones secreted and amygdala activation by both the baby and mother/father revealed extremely interesting results.
The first study measured the levels of oxytocin levels secreted in mothers. Oxytocin is the hormone secreted by the pituitary gland which causes a desire for attachment and bonding between mother and child. It is also commonly known as the “love hormone” and is released in higher amounts when people hug, touch, or bond socially. The oxytocin study was completed by taking a sample of the mother’s saliva from a test tube and testing it in a lab. The mother’s results revealed that oxytocin levels rise in mothers starting in early pregnancy and remain high throughout the birthing process and the first year of life. Mothers have a natural desire to care for and spend time with their offspring. Oxytocin levels of the infant also surge in the first year of life as the infant is entirely dependent on its caregivers, and a natural bond is created.
The second part of the oxytocin study measured the level of oxytocin within fathers throughout their partner’s pregnancy and child’s first year of life. A saliva sample was also taken from the fathers at the same time as the mothers, and the results were fascinating! It was found that oxytocin levels of the father and mother were identical starting at the child’s birth and continuing throughout the first year. Oxytocin levels of the father rose as the father engaged with the infant and decided to take on a stronger parental role. With more touch, bath time, play time, feeding and overall interaction between the father and infant, more bonding and chemical secretions were present.
Amygdala activation within the brain is also a key factor in the bonding, caregiving, and connection between an infant and its caregivers. When examining a mother’s brain, the amygdala opens with the surge of oxytocin and this state of openness remains for the remainder of the mother’s life. The function of the amygdala is to evoke greater emotions and is a key factor in the mother’s desire to care for her children and worry about their health and safety in almost all situations. This is why in many cases, the mother is the parent who is woken up at night when the baby is crying or unhappy, while the father commonly remains in a deep sleep. In a relationship with male and female parents, higher amygdala activation in mothers is almost always guaranteed.
But what happens when a mother is not present and the parental relationship is not male-female, but rather male-male? The last section of this test was created to analyze amygdala activation and child-parent bonding with an entirely father role. A study was completed on forty different gay couples who had children through surrogacy and the results again were shocking. It was previously known that pregnancy, childbirth and feeding activate the mothers’ brain, however the same activation occurs within the primary caregiver. If the primary caregiver is male, identical amygdala activation is found. This newfound knowledge solidifies the fact that it is a choice to be a committed caregiver for the infant and take on a role as a committed parent. Babies are born with the capacity for intimate relational interaction, and if this relationship gets disrupted, it has a strong emotional effect on the infant which stays present throughout adulthood.
photo taken from: https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/macrosomia-giant-baby-birth/