SynthesisPloS one2020
Maternal plasma levels of oxytocin during breastfeeding-A systematic review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 124 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
124 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 225 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effect of music on breastfeeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis of breast milk production, composition, and maternal stress.International breastfeeding journal · 2026Pooled it
- Oxytocin dysfunction in severe mental illnesses following adverse childhood experiences: a systematic review.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Guidelines for assessing maternal cardiovascular physiology during pregnancy and postpartum.American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology · 2024Guideline
- Effect of cesarean section on the risk of autism spectrum disorders/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in offspring: a meta-analysis.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2024Pooled it
- Maternal and newborn plasma oxytocin levels in response to maternal synthetic oxytocin administration during labour, birth and postpartum - a systematic review with implications for the function of the oxytocinergic system.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Pooled it
- Acute Sheehan's syndrome manifesting initially with diabetes insipidus postpartum: a case report and systematic literature review.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2022Pooled it
- First-in-Human Study of Merotocin, a Short-Acting Peptidic Oxytocin Receptor Agonist for Lactation Support.Clinical pharmacology in drug development · 2025Trial
- Mother-infant stress contagion? Effects of an acute maternal stressor on maternal caregiving behavior and infant cortisol and crying.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025Trial
- Reduction of oxytocin plasma levels in borderline personality disorder and normalization induced by psychotherapies.Psychological medicine · 2025Trial
- Mothers Falling Asleep During Infant Feeding.Pediatrics · 2024Trial
- The effect of yoga training on postpartum prolactin and oxytocin levels in primipara women.Journal of medicine and life · 2024Trial
- Comparison of Oxytocin vs. Carbetocin Uterotonic Activity after Caesarean Delivery Assessed by Electrohysterography: A Randomised Trial.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Trial
- Daily skin-to-skin contact in full-term infants and breastfeeding: Secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial.Maternal & child nutrition · 2022Trial
- Parental microbiome programming of early-life neurodevelopment: multi-niche contributions through the microbiome-gut-brain axis.Gut microbes · 2026Review
- Exploring hormonal influences on nicotine craving and use across the perinatal period: A prospective longitudinal study.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2026Article
- Factors Influencing Successful Breastfeeding: A Regional Survey and Comparative Review in European and Global Contexts.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Beyond 'Baby Brain': Memory and Sleep Health During Pregnancy-A Biopsychosocial Perspective.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Impact of Press Needle Combining Breast Massage on Onset of Lactogenesis II in Post-Cesarean Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2026Article
- 90-Day Survival of Domestic Sheep (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Beyond lactation: Central oxytocin in maternal mental health and disease.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2026Review
64 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors at 12 institutions in 11 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionOxytocin is a key hormone in breastfeeding. No recent review on plasma levels of oxytocin in response to breastfeeding is available. MATERIALS AND
methodsSystematic literature searches on breastfeeding induced oxytocin levels were conducted 2017 and 2019 in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Data on oxytocin linked effects and effects of medical interventions were included if available.
resultsWe found 29 articles that met the inclusion criteria. All studies had an exploratory design and included 601 women. Data were extracted from the articles and summarised in tables. Breastfeeding induced an immediate and short lasting (20 minutes) release of oxytocin. The release was pulsatile early postpartum (5 pulses/10 minutes) and coalesced into a more protracted rise as lactation proceeded. Oxytocin levels were higher in multiparous versus primiparous women. The number of oxytocin pulses during early breastfeeding was associated with greater milk yield and longer duration of lactation and was reduced by stress. Breastfeeding-induced oxytocin release was associated with elevated prolactin levels; lowered ACTH and cortisol (stress hormones) and somatostatin (a gastrointestinal hormone) levels; enhanced sociability; and reduced anxiety, suggesting that oxytocin induces physiological and psychological adaptations in the mother. Mechanical breast pumping, but not bottle-feeding was associated with oxytocin and prolactin release and decreased stress levels. Emergency caesarean section reduced oxytocin and prolactin release in response to breastfeeding and also maternal mental adaptations. Epidural analgesia reduced prolactin and mental adaptation, whereas infusions of synthetic oxytocin increased prolactin and mental adaptation. Oxytocin infusion also restored negative effects induced by caesarean section and epidural analgesia.
conclusionsOxytocin is released in response to breastfeeding to cause milk ejection, and to induce physiological changes to promote milk production and psychological adaptations to facilitate motherhood. Stress and medical interventions during birth may influence these effects and thereby adversely affect the initiation of breastfeeding.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.