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Cited by 295Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumBreastfeeding Practices and InfluencesNeuroendocrine regulation and behavior

Association Between Maternal Mood and Oxytocin Response to Breastfeeding

Open access
Stuebe, Alison M., Grewen, Karen, Meltzer-Brody, Samantha·2013·Journal of Women's Health
DOI 10.1089/jwh.2012.3768PMC PMC3627433
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression is associated with reduced breastfeeding duration. We previously hypothesized that shared neuroendocrine mechanisms underlie this association. We sought to measure the association between maternal mood and neuroendocrine response to breastfeeding. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of women recruited during pregnancy who intended to breastfeed. Baseline depression and anxiety history were assessed with a structured clinical interview. We measured mood symptoms using validated psychometric instruments, and we quantified affect and neuroendocrine responses to breastfeeding during laboratory visits at 2 and 8 weeks postpartum. RESULTS: We recruited 52 women who intended to breastfeed, among whom 47 completed 8-week follow-up. Duration and intensity of breastfeeding through 8 weeks were similar among mothers with lower versus higher anxiety and depression scores. In the third trimester, oxytocin was inversely correlated with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score (p=0.03). We did not find differences in neuroendocrine profile during breastfeeding at 2 weeks postpartum. Among the 39 women who breastfed at 8 weeks postpartum, oxytocin area under the curve during breastfeeding was inversely correlated with maternal EPDS and STAI-State and STAI-Trait anxiety scores (all p≤0.01). Higher anxiety and depression scores was further associated with lower oxytocin (group p<0.05) during feeding. During feeding at both visits, higher anxiety and depression scores were also associated with more negative affect: mothers reported feeling less happy and more depressed, overwhelmed, and stressed during feeding than women with lower scores. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of depression and anxiety were associated with differences in oxytocin response and affect during breastfeeding.

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  • Mothers with depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to discontinue breastfeeding (early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding in the first months) than mothers without depressive symptoms.

    “Mothers with depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to discontinue breastfeeding (early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding in the first months),41,59,69,71,90,91,118,119,137”

    From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [41]

    The Background and Discussion state that postpartum depressive symptoms have been associated with shorter breastfeeding duration in earlier work. But the Results report no association between maternal symptoms and breastfeeding exclusivity at 2 or 8 weeks, and the Discussion says this study found no association with discontinuation. This source therefore does not establish the claimed significant increase in early discontinuation of exclusive breastfeeding. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Maternal depressive symptoms appeared to be correlated with lower total T4 concentrations.

    “Maternal depressive symptoms appeared to be correlated with lower oxytocin,41 total T441 concentrations, and higher TGF-β2 concentrations.77”

    From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [41]

  • Maternal depressive symptoms appeared to be correlated with lower oxytocin concentrations.

    “Maternal depressive symptoms appeared to be correlated with lower oxytocin,41 total T441 concentrations, and higher TGF-β2 concentrations.77”

    From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [41]

  • Several studies found that mothers who report more anxiety and depression also demonstrate lower levels of oxytocin when breastfeeding than asymptomatic breastfeeding mothers.

    “Several studies found that mothers who report more anxiety and depression also demonstrate lower levels of oxytocin when breastfeeding than asymptomatic breastfeeding mothers (Stuebe et al., 2013; Cox et al., 2015; Pawluski et al., 2017).”

    From The evolved nest, oxytocin functioning, and prosocial development (2023) · cites this paper as Stuebe et al., 2013

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [17]First MB. Spitzer RL. Gibbon M. Williams JBW. New York: Biometrics Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute; 2002. Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I disorders, research version, non-patient edition (SCID-I/NP) [Google Scholar]
  2. [20]Cox JL. Holden JM. Sagovsky R. Detection of postnatal depression. Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Br J Psychiatry. 1987;150:782–786. doi: 10.1192/bjp.150.6.782. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
Stuebe, A. M., Grewen, K., & Meltzer-Brody, S.
Affiliations
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Stuebe, Alison M.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Women's Health
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2013-04
Volume
22
Issue
4
Pages
352-361
ISSN
  • 1059-7115 (ISSN-L)
  • 1540-9996
  • 1931-843X
DOI
10.1089/jwh.2012.3768
PMC
PMC3627433
OpenAlex
W2008023822
Cited by
295
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5
FWCI
17.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.liebertpub.com/nv/resources-tools/text-and-data-mining-policy/121/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Women s Health (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5k01da019949-02, K01DA019949-01A1)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH085165)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (P01DA022446, K01DA019949-01A1)
  • National Center for Research Resources (UL1RR025747)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K12HD050113)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Breastfeeding Practices and Influences
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
Keywords
postpartum depression, maternal anxiety, breastfeeding, oxytocin, neuroendocrine response, maternal mood, negative affect, breastfeeding duration, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, state-trait anxiety
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Anxiety, Breast Feeding, Depression, Female, Humans, Oxytocin, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, Third, Prospective Studies, Postpartum Period

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