The maternal instinct would be linked to the functioning of oxytocin, a hormone associated with the regulation of child-related behaviors.
The idea of maternal instinct is very often debated. For researchers in Louisiana, there is however proof of its existence. In PLOS ONEthey publish the results of their work on oxytocin, a hormone linked to maternal behavior.
Oxytocin receptors
The research team studied the brains of male and female mice. They analyzed the oxytocin receptor cells in their brains. Their first conclusion concerns the location of these receptors: in females, they are located in a cerebral area that is involved in the regulation of maternal behavior.
They also found that these cells only express themselves when estrogen, a female sex hormone, is also present. For scientists, all this confirms the link between the expression of oxytocin receptors and maternal behaviors.
Postpartum depression could be linked to poor expression of these receptors. “Many researchers have tried to understand the differences between the functioning of oxytocin in females and in males, explains Ryoichi Teruyama, director of this study, but no one has managed to find formal proof. Our discovery was a big surprise.”
Postpartum depression can last two years
Postpartum depression concerns between 10 and 15% of women who give birth. In general, it appears between one and two months after the birth of the child and can last up to two years. The main symptoms are sleep disturbances, hyperactivity, concentration disorders, anxiety and severe fatigue. In most cases, affected women are treated with anti-depressants. In the United States, a new drug capable of treating postpartum depression was marketed last March.
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