Cited by 73Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorFamily Dynamics and RelationshipsEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

Prospective and dyadic associations between expectant parents’ prenatal hormone changes and postpartum parenting outcomes

Open access
Edelstein, Robin S., Chopik, William J., Saxbe, Darby E., Wardecker, Britney M., Moors, Amy C., LaBelle, Onawa P.·2017·Developmental Psychobiology

Abstract

During the transition to parenthood, both men and women experience hormone changes that are thought to promote parental care. Yet very few studies have explicitly tested the hypothesis that prenatal hormone changes are associated with postpartum parenting behavior. In a longitudinal study of 27 first-time expectant couples, we assessed whether prenatal hormone changes were moderated by self- and partner-reported parenting outcomes at 3 months postpartum. Expectant fathers showed prenatal declines in testosterone and estradiol, and larger declines in these hormones were associated with greater contributions to household and infant care tasks postpartum. Women whose partners showed larger testosterone declines also reported receiving more support and more help with household tasks. Expectant mothers showed prenatal increases in testosterone and estradiol, and larger increases in these hormones were associated with lower partner-rated support. Together, our findings provide some of the first evidence that prenatal hormone changes may indeed be functional and that the implications of these changes may be detectable by co-parents.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/dev.21469

Cites

73 of 73 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

14 of 59 cited sources checked · 6 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

  • Premisecitation

    Limited longitudinal evidence indicates that new fathers' testosterone falls from before to after birth.

    “limited longitudinal evidence suggests that new fathers’ testosterone declines pre-to post-birth (Berg & Wynne-Edwards, 2001; Gettler et al., 2011)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Berg & Wynne-Edwards, 2001

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Gettler et al., 2011 source
  • Premisecitation

    In men and other male mammals, testosterone appears to fall with fatherhood.

    “In men and other male mammals, testosterone appears to decline as a function of fatherhood.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim2 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Gray, Yang, & Pope, 2006 source

      The Discussion reports lower testosterone levels in Beijing fathers than in unmarried men and married non-fathers, but says the cross-sectional study cannot establish whether fatherhood causes testosterone to decline. The Introduction mentions paternal care in other mammals, but our copy does not report a testosterone decline with fatherhood in nonhuman mammals. (LLM, conf=0.87)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Berg & Wynne-Edwards, 2001

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Gettler et al., 2011 source

      The Discussion reports substantial testosterone declines after men became fathers. It also says fathers have lower testosterone in some, but not all, other mammalian species studied, so the claim is broader than the paper's qualified account of other mammals. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Premisecitation

    Testosterone declines from before to after birth are largest among men who are more directly involved in caring for infants.

    “pre to post-natal declines in testosterone are most pronounced among men who are more directly involved in infant care (Gettler et al., 2011)”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Gettler et al., 2011 source

      The Results report that fathers with greater childcare involvement had lower testosterone at follow-up, and that baseline testosterone did not predict later childcare involvement. But the paper does not directly show that the most involved fathers had the largest testosterone declines from before to after birth: its longitudinal measurements were 4.5 years apart, and the childcare comparison concerns testosterone at follow-up. (LLM, conf=0.86)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Premisecitation

    Longitudinal research suggests testosterone declines with both pair-bonding and parenthood in men and women.

    “Longitudinal research suggests that testosterone declines both as a function of pair-bonding and of parenthood in both men and women (Gettler et al., 2011; Kuzawa, Gettler, Huang, & McDade, 2010).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim2 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Gettler et al., 2011 source

      The Results (page unavailable) report a significant testosterone decline in men who became partnered fathers, supporting the parenthood portion for men. But declines among newly partnered men who remained nonfathers were not significantly different from those among single nonfathers. The study did not examine women, so it does not support the claim's extension to both sexes. (LLM, conf=0.90)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Kuzawa, Gettler, Huang, & McDade, 2010 source

      The Abstract reports lower waking testosterone in mothers and pairbonded women, and the Introduction describes similar associations in men. But the Abstract calls the study’s finding cross-sectional, not longitudinal; the Results also find that pairbonding is no longer a significant predictor in women after adjusting for motherhood. This source therefore does not establish declines over time with both transitions in both sexes. (LLM, conf=0.89)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Findingown data

    Expectant fathers experienced decreases in testosterone and estradiol across the prenatal period.

    “Expectant fathers showed prenatal declines in testosterone and estradiol”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 52
  • May combine two claims. 33
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Prenatal testosterone increases are believed to help maintain pregnancy and start labor.

    “Prenatal increases in testosterone are thought to contribute to the maintenance of pregnancy and the initiation of parturition (Makieva, Saunders, & Norman, 2014).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Makieva, Saunders, & Norman, 2014 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Lower testosterone after birth probably supports maternal behavior.

    “although lower testosterone postpartum likely facilitates maternal behavior (e.g., Fite et al., 2005).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Fite et al., 2005 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Fathers tend to have lower testosterone than men who are not fathers.

    “Specifically, fathers generally have lower levels of testosterone compared to non-fathers (e.g., Gray, Yang, & Pope, 2006)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Gray, Yang, & Pope, 2006 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    The role of estradiol in paternal behavior is much less clear, especially in humans.

    “The role of estradiol in paternal behavior is much less clear, particularly among humans (Saltzman & Ziegler, 2014; Wardecker, Smith, Edelstein, & Loving, 2015).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim2 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Saltzman & Ziegler, 2014 source

      The “Oestrogen and progesterone” section says that few studies have examined oestrogen signalling in mammalian fathers and that no consistent picture has emerged. The “Testosterone and oestrogen” section discusses effects on paternal behaviour in other mammals, but the copy does not specifically establish that estradiol’s role is especially unclear in humans. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Wardecker, Smith, Edelstein, & Loving, 2015 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Men with lower baseline testosterone report more parental investment.

    “men with lower baseline testosterone levels report more parental investment (Mascaro, Hackett, & Rilling, 2013)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Mascaro, Hackett, & Rilling, 2013 source

      The Results (page unavailable) report that testosterone was negatively correlated with fathers’ desired level of caregiving, supporting the direction of the claim. But the study concerns fathers of young children, not men generally, and its analyses of actual caregiving used mothers’ ratings rather than fathers’ reports. The paper measured plasma testosterone but does not describe the reported association as one with ‘baseline’ testosterone. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Experimental increases in estradiol increase aggression toward infants in some male animals but increase caregiving in others.

    “experimental manipulations that increase estradiol also increase aggression toward infants in some male animals (e.g., prairie voles), but increase caregiving behavior in others (e.g., California mice; see Wardecker et al., 2015, for review).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Wardecker et al., 2015 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    New fathers who are more engaged in childcare show larger postpartum declines in testosterone.

    “new fathers who are more engaged in childcare show larger postpartum declines in testosterone (Gettler et al., 2011).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Gettler et al., 2011 source

      The Results report larger testosterone declines among men who became fathers and lower follow-up testosterone among fathers who spent more time in childcare. Childcare involvement was unrelated to baseline testosterone, but the paper does not report that more-engaged fathers had larger *postpartum declines* than less-engaged fathers. The Results passage on newborns attributes their greater declines to the child's age, not caregiving involvement. (LLM, conf=0.86)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Most effects reported here were consistent with those from the nine-month follow-up, though some were weaker.

    “The majority of the effects reported here were consistent with those obtained using the 9-month follow-up data, albeit some were weaker in magnitude.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    There were no significant infant-sex-by-childcare interactions for fathers' estradiol or for either of mothers' hormones.

    “There were no significant infant sex-by-childcare interactions for fathers’ estradiol or for either of mothers’ hormones, p > .10.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    Within couples, the measures of household labor division and infant care division were negatively correlated.

    “Within dyads (presented in bold in Table 1), measures of division of household labor and infant care were negatively correlated”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Mothers reported doing a smaller share of household tasks than fathers did.

    “but a smaller proportion of household tasks, t(52) = 4.68, p < .001, d = 1.29, compared to fathers.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Mothers reported doing a larger share of infant care than fathers did.

    “mothers reporting that they performed a greater proportion of infant care, t(52) = −8.90, p < .001, d = 2.49”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Perceived spousal support was higher among participants with female infants than among those with male infants.

    “perceived spousal support was higher among participants with female, M = 3.71; SD = 0.40, compared to male infants, M = 3.20; SD = 0.87, t(52) = 2.79, p < .01, d = 0.78.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Mothers reported receiving less partner support than fathers did.

    “Mothers also reported receiving less support from their partners, t(52) = −2.97, p < .01, d = 0.82, compared to fathers.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    Prior research shows both negative and positive associations between men's estradiol and caregiving behavior.

    “Given that previous research points to both negative and positive associations between men’s estradiol and caregiving behavior”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In women and other female mammals, testosterone rises during pregnancy and then gradually falls after birth.

    “In women and other female mammals, testosterone increases during pregnancy (Edelstein et al., 2015) and then declines gradually after birth (Fleming, Ruble, Krieger, & Wong, 1997).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Edelstein et al., 2015

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Fleming, Ruble, Krieger, & Wong, 1997 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Two couples did not complete the postpartum follow-up, so 27 couples were available for analysis.

    “Two couples did not complete the postpartum follow-up assessment, leaving 27 couples available for analysis in the current report.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductcitation

    All couples were tested between 12:30 and 18:30 because hormone levels are most stable in the afternoon and evening.

    “Because hormone levels are most stable in the afternoon to evening hours (e.g., Schultheiss & Stanton, 2009), all couples were tested between 12:30h and 18:30h.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Schultheiss & Stanton, 2009

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisenone given

    Estradiol has been linked more consistently to maternal behavior than to paternal behavior.

    “Estradiol, on the other hand, has been linked more consistently with maternal than paternal behavior.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Hormone values were averaged per participant and session for both hormones, and correlations between the two samples ranged from .94 to .97.

    “Hormone values were averaged for each participant and session for both of the hormones; correlations between the two samples ranged from .94 to .97.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    The number of prenatal sessions completed varied across couples (mean 3.63, SD 0.63); two couples completed two, six completed three, and 19 completed all four.

    “there was some variability in the number of sessions completed by each couple (M = 3.63 sessions; SD = 0.63). Two couples completed two sessions, six couples completed three sessions, and 19 couples completed all four sessions.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    For estradiol, inter-assay CVs were 14.69% and 14.39% at high and low levels, intra-assay CV was 4.60%, and analytical sensitivity was 0.10 pg/mL.

    “The inter-assay CV for estradiol was 14.69% and 14.39% at high and low levels, respectively; the intra-assay CV was 4.60%. Analytical sensitivity (B0–2 SD) for estradiol was 0.10 pg/mL.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    For each couple, sessions were held on the same weekday and at the same time when possible to control for daily and day-to-day hormone variation.

    “Sessions were conducted on the same day of the week at the same time (as possible) for each couple to control for diurnal and day-to-day variations in hormone levels.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    Six hormone values (1.2% of 822 samples) were Winsorized: two testosterone values (both male) and four estradiol values (two female, two male).

    “Six values were replaced using this approach (1.2% of the total 822 samples): 2 for testosterone (both male), and 4 for estradiol (2 female, 2 male).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In women and other female mammals, estradiol rises sharply during pregnancy, peaks just before birth, and falls steeply afterward.

    “In women and other female mammals, estradiol increases markedly during pregnancy (Edelstein et al., 2015), spikes just prior to birth, and drops precipitously thereafter (Fleming et al., 1997).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Edelstein et al., 2015

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Fleming et al., 1997 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Higher maternal testosterone may help protect infants.

    “Higher levels of maternal testosterone may also facilitate infant protection (Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    For testosterone, inter-assay CVs were 5.26% and 14.97% at high and low levels, intra-assay CV was 9.86%, and analytical sensitivity was 1.14 pg/mL.

    “For testosterone, the inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was 5.26% and 14.97% at high and low levels, respectively; the intra-assay CV was 9.86%. Analytical sensitivity (B0–2 SD) for testosterone was 1.14 pg/mL.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Estradiol is linked to caregiving and bonding in humans and other mammals.

    “Estradiol is associated with caregiving and bonding in humans and other mammals (Mileva-Seitz & Fleming, 2011).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Mileva-Seitz & Fleming, 2011

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Post-birth testosterone declines in men are thought to support paternal care by lowering aggression toward infants, shifting attention from mating, and/or promoting paternal attachment.

    “Post-birth declines in men’s testosterone are thought to support paternal care by reducing aggression toward infants, focusing attention away from mating effort, and/or facilitating paternal attachment (Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The study's results offer early evidence that prenatal hormone changes may serve a function and that co-parents may notice behaviors linked to those changes.

    “Together, our findings provide some of first evidence that prenatal hormone changes may indeed be functional and that behaviors associated with these changes may be detectable by co-parents.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In a prior longitudinal study of expectant parents, men's testosterone fell across the prenatal period, suggesting an infant's presence may not be needed to start hormonal changes.

    “In a longitudinal study of expectant parents, men’s testosterone declined throughout the prenatal period, suggesting that the presence of an infant may not be necessary to initiate hormone changes (Edelstein et al., 2015).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Edelstein et al., 2015

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Testosterone is linked to aggression when high and to parental care when low.

    “Testosterone is associated with both aggression and parental care (at higher vs. lower levels, respectively; van Anders, Goldey, & Kuo, 2011; Wingfield, Hegner, Dufty, & Ball, 1990).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites van Anders, Goldey, & Kuo, 2011 source
    • cites Wingfield, Hegner, Dufty, & Ball, 1990 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Increases in estradiol before birth are believed to be important for the start of maternal behavior and for maternal attachment.

    “Pre-birth increases in estradiol are thought to be important for the onset of maternal behavior and for maternal attachment (Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    In each session, participants gave two saliva samples, the first after a 20-minute adaptation and the second 20 minutes later, to improve measurement reliability.

    “During each session, participants provided two saliva samples that were used to assess testosterone and estradiol levels, the first after a 20-minute adaptation period and the second 20 minutes later, to increase measurement reliabilityi.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Three additional couples began the study but were excluded because they were not first-time parents, ended the pregnancy due to chromosomal abnormalities, or did not respond to scheduling requests.

    “Three additional couples began the study but are not included here because they: (1) were not in fact first-time parents, (2) terminated the pregnancy because of chromosomal abnormalities, or (3) did not respond to our requests to schedule subsequent sessions.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Only three-month follow-up data were included because the nine-month response rate was lower and prenatal effects were expected to be strongest earlier in the postpartum period.

    “Because our response rate was somewhat lower for the nine-month follow-up (n = 24 couples completed this follow-up) and because we expected prenatal effects to be strongest earlier during the postpartum period, only data from the three month follow-up questionnaire are included in the current report.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Prenatal hormone effects on parenting outcomes are strongest earlier in the postpartum period.
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    Division of Household Labor was measured with a nine-item scale of household chores excluding infant care (α = .55).

    “Division of Household Labor was assessed with a nine-item measure of household chores not including infant care (e.g., Cowan & Cowan, 1987; Volling & Belsky, 1992).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Cowan & Cowan, 1987

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Volling & Belsky, 1992 source
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Prenatal hormone changes may be functional or adaptive in preparing people for parenthood.

    “there are reasons to expect that these changes may be functional or adaptive in that they help prepare people to become parents (Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Wynne-Edwards & Reburn, 2000

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    Fathers with larger testosterone declines were more involved in infant care, but only for male infants.

    “fathers who showed larger declines in testosterone were more involved in infant care, but only for male infants.”
    • Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
      “fathers who showed larger prenatal declines in testosterone reported greater engagement in infant care tasks (although exclusively with male infants) at three months postpartum.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The low internal consistency of the household labor measure likely reflects that most household tasks are typically divided between partners.

    “The relatively low internal consistency of this measure in the current study likely reflects that most household responsibilities are typically divided between partners”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    Perceived Spousal Support was measured with the 10-item spousal support subscale of the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale (α = .96).

    “Perceived Spousal Support was assessed with the spousal support subscale of the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale (Guidubaldi & Cleminshaw, 1985).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Guidubaldi & Cleminshaw, 1985 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Estradiol values were positively skewed (skewness and kurtosis above 2.0), so log-transformed values were used in later analyses.

    “Additionally, the distribution of estradiol values was positively skewed (skewness and kurtosis values > 2.0), so log-transformed values were used in subsequent analyses.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Men with lower baseline testosterone report greater empathy in response to infant cries.

    “and greater empathy in response to infant cries (Fleming, Corter, Stallings, & Steiner, 2002).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Fleming, Corter, Stallings, & Steiner, 2002 source
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Three months postpartum was chosen as the initial follow-up because it is a common time for postpartum depression and for parents returning to work.

    “three months postpartum was chosen as the initial period of the follow-up because it falls within the most common time for the development of postpartum depression (Gavin et al., 2005) and the time when many parents return to work (which can increase stress; Feldman, Sussman, & Zigler, 2004).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Gavin et al., 2005 source
    • cites Feldman, Sussman, & Zigler, 2004 source
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Multilevel modeling is well suited to nested data because it adjusts for interdependency and allows within-person and between-person effects to be estimated simultaneously.

    “This approach is well-suited for nested data because it adjusts for interdependency and allows both within-person (or within-couple) and between-person (or between-couple) effects to be simultaneously calculated.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Raudenbush, Bryk, Cheong, Congdon, & du Toit, 2011

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductown data

    Infant sex was included in subsequent analyses involving infant care.

    “so this variable was included in subsequent analyses involving infant care.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Men reported greater concern in response to infant cries when they showed larger testosterone reductions after listening to those cries, while baseline testosterone was unrelated to concern.

    “men reported greater concern in response to infant cries to the extent that they showed larger reductions in testosterone after listening to those cries; however, as in the current study, men’s baseline testosterone levels were unrelated to their level of concern (Storey, Walsh, Quinton, & Wynne-Edwards, 2000).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Storey, Walsh, Quinton, & Wynne-Edwards, 2000

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    The Baby Care Checklist had high internal consistency.

    “α = .92”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In women, lower testosterone has been linked with more self-reported pro-social behavior and more positive feelings toward children.

    “in women lower testosterone has similarly been linked with more self-reported pro-social behavior and more positive feelings toward children (Deady, Smith, Sharp, & Al-Dujaili, 2006; Harris, Rushton, Hampson, & Jackson, 1996).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Deady, Smith, Sharp, & Al-Dujaili, 2006 source
    • cites Harris, Rushton, Hampson, & Jackson, 1996

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Behaviors linked with prenatal hormone changes, such as household-task contributions, are detectable by co-parents and may affect postpartum outcomes.

    “These findings suggest that the behaviors associated with prenatal hormone changes, such as contributions to household tasks, are detectable by co-parents and may influence postpartum outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationcitation

    The observed hormone changes could reflect lasting effects of pair-bonding rather than impending parenthood itself.

    “Thus, the hormone changes we observed could reflect the enduring influences of pair-boding, as opposed to impending parenthood per se.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    HLM can adjust for couples completing prenatal visits in different pregnancy weeks and can include all participants when some within-person data are missing.

    “HLM can adjust for the fact that couples completed their prenatal visits in different weeks of pregnancy, and allows for inclusion of all participants when some data (e.g., some prenatal visits) are missing at the within-person level (Singer & Willett, 2003).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Singer & Willett, 2003 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Perinatal changes in women's estradiol have been linked with postpartum depression.

    “Perinatal changes in women’s estradiol have also been linked with postpartum depression (Bloch, Daly, & Rubinow, 2003)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Bloch, Daly, & Rubinow, 2003 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    The study's measures may not have been sensitive or comprehensive enough to assess women's experiences adequately.

    “our measures may not have been sensitive or comprehensive enough to adequately assess women’s experiences.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Women's prenatal hormone changes are larger than men's and more directly tied to fetal development and parturition, which could overwhelm individual differences in postpartum outcomes.

    “Women’s prenatal hormone changes are markedly larger than those in men, and they are more directly tied to fetal development and parturition, which could overwhelm any (relatively smaller) individual differences in postpartum outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    In humans, estradiol has been positively linked with emotional closeness in both men and women.

    “in humans, estradiol has been positively linked with emotional closeness in both men and women (Edelstein et al., 2012; Edelstein et al., 2010)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Edelstein et al., 2012 source
    • cites Edelstein et al., 2010 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    It is important to measure both baseline hormone levels and the extent of hormone change over time.

    “these findings highlight the importance of measuring not only baseline or initial hormone levels but also the extent to which hormones change over time”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    In women, estradiol has also been linked with dominance and sexual motivation.

    “but also (in women) with dominance and sexual motivation (Roney & Simmons, 2013; Stanton & Edelstein, 2009).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Roney & Simmons, 2013 source
    • cites Stanton & Edelstein, 2009 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Previous findings on estradiol and parental behavior have been inconsistent, with some studies showing facilitative effects and others inhibitory effects.

    “Previous findings on this topic have been somewhat inconsistent, with some studies reporting facilitative effects of estradiol on parental behavior and others reporting inhibitory effects.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationown data

    The study's findings provide important new information about neuroendocrine precursors and correlates of parental behavior.

    “our findings provide critical new information about the neuroendocrine precursors and correlates of parental behavior.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The study design did not include prenatal parenting assessments, so unmeasured pre-existing differences among parents could have contributed to both prenatal hormone changes and postpartum outcomes.

    “the nature of our study design precluded prenatal assessments of parenting. Thus, we cannot rule out the possibility that unmeasured pre-existing differences among parents (e.g., interest in babies, Zilioli et al., in press) contributed both to prenatal hormone changes and to postpartum outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Zilioli et al., in press

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    If household-labor equity perceptions are closely tied to relationship satisfaction during the transition to parenthood, the observed hormone changes might protect postpartum relationship quality.

    “insofar as perceptions about the equity of household labor are closely tied to relationship satisfaction during the transition to parenthood (e.g., Belsky, Lang, & Huston, 1986), our findings suggest that the hormone changes observed in the present study might serve to protect postpartum relationship quality.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Belsky, Lang, & Huston, 1986 source
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Fathers with larger testosterone declines during a stressful infant interaction were more positively engaged in a later teaching task, while baseline testosterone was unrelated to that behavior.

    “fathers who showed larger testosterone declines while interacting with their infant during a stressful laboratory task were more positively engaged with their infants in a subsequent teaching task; again, baseline (pre-task) testosterone levels were unrelated to fathers’ behavior in the teaching task.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Kuo et al. (in press)

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductcitation

    All couples lived together and most were married or engaged, which is not necessarily true of many first-time parents.

    “All of the couples in our sample were also living together, and the vast majority were either married or engaged, which is not necessarily the case for many first-time parents (Martin et al., 2013).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Martin et al., 2013
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The analysis adjusted for within-person hormone change over pregnancy and for between-couple differences in participation timing by including first-visit week and elapsed weeks as covariates.

    “Controlling for these variables allowed us to adjust not only for within-person change in hormone levels over pregnancy, but also between-couple differences in the timing of their participation in the study.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
65 of 65
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    No data link human fathers' prenatal testosterone changes to postpartum parenting behavior.

    “To our knowledge, there are no data linking human fathers’ prenatal testosterone changes to postpartum parenting behavior.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Prenatal hormone effects on parenting outcomes are strongest earlier in the postpartum period.

    “because we expected prenatal effects to be strongest earlier during the postpartum period”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Couples, and new parents in particular, are interdependent such that one partner's hormone changes can be associated with the other partner's postpartum outcomes.

    “Finally, given the interdependence of couples, and new parents in particular, we expected that changes in one individual’s hormone levels would also be associated with his or her partner’s postpartum outcomes.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Few studies have explicitly tested whether prenatal hormone changes are related to postpartum outcomes.

    “Yet very few studies have explicitly tested the hypothesis that prenatal hormone changes are in fact related to postpartum outcomes.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Most prior work on testosterone and parenting is cross-sectional, making the causal direction unclear.

    “The vast majority of previous work on this topic has been cross-sectional in nature, however, which makes it difficult to determine whether parents’ testosterone levels causally predict, or instead are a consequence of, their parenting behavior.”
5 of 5

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Over the course of pregnancy, testosterone and estradiol decline in men.

    “Over the course of pregnancy, testosterone and estradiol decline in men, and in one study, men with greater declines were more involved in child care after birth (Edelstein et al., 2017).”

    From Birth of a Father: Fathering in the First 1,000 Days (2019) · cites this paper as Edelstein et al., 2017

    The Discussion reports that, on average, expectant fathers’ testosterone and estradiol declined prenatally. The Results link larger estradiol declines to more infant care, but link larger testosterone declines to more infant care only for fathers of male infants—a qualification the citing sentence omits. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Men with greater declines in testosterone and estradiol during pregnancy were more involved in child care after birth.

    “and in one study, men with greater declines were more involved in child care after birth (Edelstein et al., 2017).”

    From Birth of a Father: Fathering in the First 1,000 Days (2019) · cites this paper as Edelstein et al., 2017

    The Results (Multilevel Modeling) link larger prenatal estradiol declines to more infant care postpartum. They also link larger testosterone declines to more infant care, but only for male infants; the claim omits that qualification. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Statistics recomputed

Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.

  • Consistentt(52) = -8.9reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “t(52) = −8.90, p < .001”

  • Consistentt(52) = 4.68reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “t(52) = 4.68, p < .001”

  • Consistentt(52) = -2.97reported p < .01 · recomputed p = .004

    “t(52) = −2.97, p < .01”

  • Consistentt(52) = 2.79reported p < .01 · recomputed p = .007

    “t(52) = 2.79, p < .01”

4 of 4

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Estradiol-support association reverses in the discussion

    Major

    The discussion links greater paternal estradiol declines to partners feeling more supported, whereas the results link greater partner-rated support to smaller declines.

  • Percentage of replaced samples is incorrect

    Minor

    Six of 822 samples is approximately 0.73%, not 1.2%.

    Reported 1.2 · recomputed 0.729927

2 of 2

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. 2015, The American middle class is losing ground: No longer the majority and falling behind financially
  2. Raudenbush S., 2011, HLM 7: Hierarchical Linear Nonlinear Modeling
  3. Reifman A., 2010, Encylopedia of research design
  4. Saxbe D. E. Edelstein R. S. Lyden H. M. Wardecker B. M. Chopik W. J. &Moors A. C.(in press). Fathers’ decline in testosterone and synchrony with partner testosterone predicts greater postpartum relationship investment. Hormones and Behavior.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Edelstein, R. S., Chopik, W. J., Saxbe, D. E., Wardecker, B. M., Moors, A. C., & LaBelle, O. P.
Affiliations
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Michigan State University (US)
  • University of Southern California (US)
Corresponding author
Edelstein, Robin S.
Venue
Developmental Psychobiology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-09-08
Volume
59
Issue
1
Pages
77-90
ISSN
  • 0012-1630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-2302
OpenAlex
W2511986945
Cited by
73
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1
FWCI
9.94
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Developmental Psychobiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Chapman University Digital Commons (Chapman University) (submittedVersion)
  • Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan
  • the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
  • the National Science Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords
testosterone, estradiol, expectant parents, expectant fathers, pregnant women, dyads, parental care, division of household labor, infant care, partner support, transition to parenthood
MeSH terms
Adult, Estradiol, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Paternal Behavior, Pregnancy, Testosterone, Parenting, Postpartum Period, Young Adult

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-09-28.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-09-28.

Cited sources are checked by gpt-6-sol.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

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