title: Maternal oxytocin response predicts mother-to-infant gaze.
abstract: The neuropeptide oxytocin is importantly implicated in the emergence and maintenance of maternal behavior that forms the basis of the mother-infant bond. However, no research has yet examined the specific association between maternal oxytocin and maternal gaze, a key modality through which the mother makes social contact and engages with her infant. Furthermore, prior oxytocin studies have assessed maternal engagement primarily during episodes free of infant distress, while maternal engagement during infant distress is considered to be uniquely relevant to the formation of secure mother-infant attachment. Two patterns of maternal gaze, maternal gaze toward and gaze shifts away from the infant, were micro-coded while 50 mothers interacted with their 7-month-old infants during a modified still-face procedure. Maternal oxytocin response was defined as a change from baseline in the mother's plasma oxytocin level following interaction with her infant. The mother's oxytocin response was positively associated with the duration of time her gaze was directed toward her infant, while negatively associated with the frequency with which her gaze shifted away from her infant. Importantly, mothers who showed low/average oxytocin response demonstrated a significant decrease in their infant gaze during periods of infant distress, while such change was not observed in mothers with high oxytocin response. The findings underscore the involvement of oxytocin in regulating the mother's responsive engagement with her infant, particularly in times when the infant's need for access to the mother is greatest. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Sohye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 7HB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fonagy
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Research, Institute for Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1394 Budapest, P.O. Box 398, Hungary.
authors.forename: Orsolya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koos
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dorsett
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, 8080 N. Stadium Drive, Houston, TX 77054, USA. Electronic address: lanes@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Lane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strathearn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Distress; Engagement; Mother-to-infant gaze; Mothering; Oxytocin