An investigation of plasma and salivary oxytocin responses in breast- and formula-feeding mothers of infants.
Oxytocin (OT) is a peptide increasingly studied in relation to human social interactions, affiliation, and clinical disorders. Studies are constrained by use of invasive blood draws and would benefit from a reliable salivary OT assay. Our goals were to examine feasibility of salivary OT measurement, compare salivary to plasma OT responses in 12 breast- and 8 formula-feeding mothers, and assess the degree of correlation between plasma and salivary OT. Using a commercial EIA kit, we measured OT in 5 saliva and 7 plasma samples in a protocol designed to elicit changes in OT (Rest, Infant Interaction, Stress, Feeding). Breast-feeders had higher OT levels than formula-feeders across all conditions in plasma (+36%) and saliva (+23%). OT levels and ranges were similar in saliva and plasma, with slightly greater variance in saliva. Concurrently sampled plasma and salivary OT were correlated at end of Baseline Rest (r=+.59, p=.022) and Post-Stress Recovery (r=+.59, p=.025). These data suggest that salivary OT assay is feasible, and will be of value where plasma samples are not possible. Validation with larger samples is needed.
Grewen
Karen M
KM
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7175, USA. karen_grewen@med.unc.edu
Davenport
Russell E
RE
Light
Kathleen C
KC
D000328:Adult; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*
D010121:Oxytocin