Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin acts as a hormone and a neuromodulator, influencing a multitude of human social behaviors, including reproduction. During childbirth and the postpartum period, it plays a key role in regulating and controlling processes that ensure a safe birth and the health of mother and child. Especially the onset of labor, the progress of labor and initial breastfeeding are mediated by oxytocin. In the maternal brain it controls the initiation of the mother–infant bond and the mother’s emotional responses towards her child. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge about the role of oxytocin during the different aspects and mechanisms of human childbirth, combining research from human and animal studies. Physiological and psychological stress during childbirth and lactation can have negative effects on the progress of labor, breastfeeding and bonding. We discuss how maternity caregivers can support the positive effects of oxytocin and minimize the effects of stress. Furthermore, we highlight aspects of the basic neurobiological principles and connections where further research is needed to improve our understanding of the regulation and the effects of oxytocin to support maternal and infant health.
Highlights
Childbirth, the early phase of the postpartum period, and lactation are regulated by neuroendocrine processes, which act in a neurochemical cascade to facilitate the physiological progress of giving birth and the transition to motherhood [1]
Oxytocin is produced by magnocellular neurosecretory cells within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the supraoptic nucleus (SON) in the hypothalamus [5,6,7]
The pulsatile secretion of oxytocin by the neurohypophysis increases in amplitude and frequency during childbirth, reaching a maximum of three pulses within ten minutes shortly before delivery [34]. These oxytocin pulses are triggered by signals within the central nervous system (CNS) and by the pressure that is exerted by the fetus on mechanoreceptors of the cervix and the vaginal walls via a positive feedback loop, termed Ferguson reflex
Summary
During childbirth and the postpartum period, it plays a key role in regulating and controlling processes that ensure a safe birth and the health of mother and child. The onset of labor, the progress of labor and initial breastfeeding are mediated by oxytocin. In the maternal brain it controls the initiation of the mother–infant bond and the mother’s emotional responses towards her child. Physiological and psychological stress during childbirth and lactation can have negative effects on the progress of labor, breastfeeding and bonding. We highlight aspects of the basic neurobiological principles and connections where further research is needed to improve our understanding of the regulation and the effects of oxytocin to support maternal and infant health
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