ReviewFrontiers in endocrinology2021
The Role of Oxytocin and the Effect of Stress During Childbirth: Neurobiological Basics and Implications for Mother and Child.
Review in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 68 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
68 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 156 citations in OpenAlex.
- Oxytocin dysfunction in severe mental illnesses following adverse childhood experiences: a systematic review.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- The microbiota-gut-brain-epigenome axis as a novel therapeutic target for decoding postpartum depression.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- The influence of attachment and relational quality on developmental outcomes across the lifespan: a systematic review and meta-analytic insights (2014-2024).Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of breathing exercise on the duration of labour: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of global health · 2023Pooled it
- The Impact of Shiatsu Massage on Labour Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2024Trial
- Exploring hormonal influences on nicotine craving and use across the perinatal period: A prospective longitudinal study.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2026Article
- Virtual Reality to Improve Breastfeeding Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Review
- Physiological Mechanisms in Pregnancy and Their Relevance to the Clinical Management of Perinatal Mental Illness.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Hypericin and berberine promote elongation of hair peg-like sprouting in hair follicle organoids via oxytocin signaling activation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Sex differences in the risk of autistic-related traits in toddlers born to mothers with perinatal depression: Evidence from human cohort and mouse study.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- The Impact of Social Support on Anxiety and Depression in Colorectal Cancer Patients: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience.Journal of gastrointestinal cancer · 2026Article
- The role of serum oxytocin levels in the third trimester of pregnancy in the incidence of postpartum depressive symptoms.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- ChIP-seq and RNA-seq Reveal the Involvement of Histone Lactylation Modification in Early Pregnancy with Subclinical Hypothyroidism.Biochemical genetics · 2026Article
- Mothers' perceptions of bonding with their newborns in different care settings: a descriptive qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Random-effects modelling of timely initiation of breastfeeding in Tanzania: What predicts the practice?BMJ open · 2026Article
- Experiences of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization European region: A mixed-method study among 22 countries.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Breastfeeding in the Context of Trauma and Previous Psychological Experiences: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Autocrine feedback maintains homeostatic neuropeptide expression in a peptidergic hub neuron.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- The psychological impact of childbirth: Unscheduled cesarean delivery associates with increased risk for acute stress response.Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Communication barriers in perinatal care for autistic women: A qualitative study using the hermeneutic-dialectic circle in Brazil.PloS one · 2026Article
8 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
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
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.
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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.