Peripartum cortisol levels and mother‐infant interactions in Japanese macaques

Bibliographic Data

ID8315005
AuthorsMassimo Bardi (0000-0001-9333-3493, Kyoto University, corresponding author), Keiko Shimizu (0000-0002-5180-7424, Kyoto University), Gordon M Barrett (Kyoto University), Silvana M Borgognini‐Tarli (University of Pisa), Michael A Huffman (0000-0003-2115-7923, Kyoto University)
Year2003
Volume120
Issue3
Pages298-304
Publication date2003-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.10150
PMID12567380
OpenAlexW2014532224
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited41

As evidence accumulates regarding the influence of hormones and stress‐related conditions on maternal behavior, it becomes critical to better understand the relationship between physiological stress and the ability to cope with infants. Eight Japanese macaque females were observed 3 hr per week during the first 12 weeks after parturition; fecal samples were collected twice a week from each mother, starting 4 weeks before parturition and ending 4 weeks after parturition. Time spent in contact, maternal responsiveness, latency of response, and maternal rejection were measured and correlated with peripartum excreted cortisol and estradiol metabolite levels. Two indices of peripartum hormonal status were also tested against behavior: the postpartum stress index, and the postpartum cortisol/prepartum estradiol ratio (F/E). Postpartum cortisol levels showed a positive correlation with maternal rejection. The cortisol/estradiol ratio was positively correlated with rejection and latency of response, and negatively correlated with maternal responsiveness. Prepartum cortisol levels and the postpartum stress index did not correlate with any aspect of maternal behavior. Our findings suggest that hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis activity per se is not enough to predict the quality of interaction between mother and infant. Only when cortisol is high relative to estradiol could it be symptomatic of a possible negative feedback response involving stress, adrenal activity, and the ability of mothers to cope with the additional problems imposed by newborns. Am J Phys Anthropol 120:298–304, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc

Biology · Hormone · Hydrocortisone · Macaque · Pregnancy · Endocrinology · Internal Medicine · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Medicine · Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior · Physiology · Psychology · Stress Responses and Cortisol

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