Data - development of hormonal levels over time from Is paternal oxytocin an oxymoron? oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, oestradiol and cortisol in emerging fatherhood

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 (<i>N </i>= 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’.

男性从孕期至首胎子女出生后体内激素水平会发生何种变化？催产素（oxytocin, OT）单独或与其他激素协同作用，在解释男性育儿质量差异中扮演了怎样的角色？本研究纳入73名初为人父的男性，探究了5种被认为与育儿行为相关的激素的水平变化：催产素（oxytocin, OT）、加压素（vasopressin, AVP）、睾酮（testosterone, T）、雌二醇（oestradiol, E2）以及皮质醇（cortisol, Cort）。此外，我们在样本量N=152的扩展父亲样本中，考察了上述激素与父亲在其子女2月龄时的抚育行为之间的关联。检测结果显示，催产素与雌二醇的水平从产前到产后评估阶段保持稳定；加压素与睾酮水平出现显著下降，皮质醇水平则呈小幅下降趋势。单独的催产素，或其与其他激素的协同作用，均与父性敏感性无显著关联。通过探索性分析发现，睾酮与雌二醇的交互作用与父性敏感性存在相关性：在雌二醇水平较高的父亲群体中，睾酮水平越高，其父性敏感性越低。尽管本研究未发现催产素单独或与其他激素协同作用在男性这一重要人生阶段中发挥作用的证据，但睾酮与雌二醇的交互作用可解释父亲抚育行为差异的假说，为后续研究提供了颇具前景的方向。本文属于《催产素与其他神经调节剂在塑造复杂社会行为中的协同作用》专题栏目。