Oxytocin, released in a pulsatile way, and prolactin were released by breastfeeding during the second day postpartum. Oxytocin infusion decreased endogenous oxytocin levels dose-dependently. Furthermore, oxytocin infusion facilitated the release of prolactin. Epidural analgesia in combination with oxytocin infusion influenced endogenous oxytocin levels negatively.
Mothers vary in duration of breastfeeding. These individual differences are related to a variety of demographic and individual maternal factors including maternal hormones, mood and early experiences. However, little is known about the role of genetic factors. We studied single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the OXT peptide gene (rs2740210; rs4813627) and the OXT receptor gene (OXTR rs237885) in two samples of mothers from the Maternal adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment study (MAVAN), a multicenter (Hamilton and Montreal, Canada) study following mothers and their children from pregnancy until 7 years of age. Data from the Hamilton site was the primary sample (n = 201) and data from Montreal was the replication sample (n = 151). Breastfeeding duration, maternal mood (measured by the CES-D scale) and early life adversity (measured by the CTQ scale) were established during 12 months postpartum. In our primary sample, polymorphisms in OXT rs2740210, but not the other SNPs, interacted with early life adversity to predict variation in breastfeeding duration (overall
Breastfeeding is associated with a decrease of ACTH and cortisol levels. Skin-to-skin contact contributes to this effect. ACTH correlated negatively with the duration of sucking and with median oxytocin levels, whereas cortisol levels correlated inversely with the duration of skin-to-skin contact preceding sucking, suggesting a partial dissociation between the mechanisms regulating ACTH and cortisol release. In addition, medical interventions in connection with birth influence the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis 2 days after birth.
Women undergo physiological and psychological changes during pregnancy, labor and lactation. The psychological adaptations can be affective, cognitive and behavioral and can be measured by dimensional personality instruments. This study aims to compare (1) the personality profile in mothers after birth with a normative group of non-lactating women and to examine (2) whether the personality profile differs 2 days, 2 months and 6 months after birth between mothers who have been exposed to epidural anesthesia, oxytocin administration or neither. Sixty-nine primiparae were assigned to four groups: mothers having received oxytocin infusion during labor (OT iv group, n = 9), mothers having received epidural analgesia with/without oxytocin infusion (EDA group, n = 23), mothers having received 10 iU oxytocin intramuscularly after birth (OT im group, n = 15) and mothers having received none of these treatments (unmedicated group, n = 22). At 2 days and 2 and 6 months postpartum mothers completed the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). The unmedicated, the OT iv- and OT im groups scored significantly lower on anxiety and aggression related scales and higher on the socialization subscale during the entire observation period when compared with a normative group. These differences were not observed in the EDA group 2 days postpartum. At 2 and 6 months postpartum, the scores of the EDA group had changed significantly and were almost similar to the KSP scores of the other groups. ANCOVA analysis revealed that OT infusion, over and above the effects of EDA, was associated with decreased levels of several anxiety and aggression subscales. We conclude that women who received exogenous oxytocin during labor show similar positive personality traits during breastfeeding such as reduction in anxiety and aggression and increasing socialization, including maternal behavior, that have previously been ascribed to endogenous oxytocin. More importantly, these effects were not seen at 2 days postpartum in women who received epidural anesthesia during labor.
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