The DOI matches its Crossref record; 210 of the 210 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Brain basis of early parent–infant interactions: psychology, physiology, and in vivo functional neuroimaging studies
Open accessAbstract
Parenting behavior critically shapes human infants’ current and future behavior. The parent–infant relationship provides infants with their first social experiences, forming templates of what they can expect from others and how to best meet others’ expectations. In this review, we focus on the neurobiology of parenting behavior, including our own functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain imaging experiments of parents. We begin with a discussion of background, perspectives and caveats for considering the neurobiology of parent–infant relationships. Then, we discuss aspects of the psychology of parenting that are significantly motivating some of the more basic neuroscience research. Following that, we discuss some of the neurohormones that are important for the regulation of social bonding, and the dysregulation of parenting with cocaine abuse. Then, we review the brain circuitry underlying parenting, proceeding from relevant rodent and nonhuman primate research to human work. Finally, we focus on a study‐by‐study review of functional neuroimaging studies in humans. Taken together, this research suggests that networks of highly conserved hypothalamic–midbrain–limbic–paralimbic–cortical circuits act in concert to support aspects of parent response to infants, including the emotion, attention, motivation, empathy, decision‐making and other thinking that are required to navigate the complexities of parenting. Specifically, infant stimuli activate basal forebrain regions, which regulate brain circuits that handle specific nurturing and caregiving responses and activate the brain's more general circuitry for handling emotions, motivation, attention, and empathy – all of which are crucial for effective parenting. We argue that an integrated understanding of the brain basis of parenting has profound implications for mental health.
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“In addition, most prior studies have had a small sample size (10 or fewer subjects) or used a suboptimal fixed effects analysis (24) which prevents generalization of the results to the population from which the sample was drawn (30).”
From What’s in a smile? Maternal brain responses to infant facial cues (2008) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“One common theme emerging from these studies has been the possible role of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system in processing reward-based signals and motivating maternal care, as seen in animal models (see review (24)).”
From What’s in a smile? Maternal brain responses to infant facial cues (2008) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“However, other fMRI studies have only demonstrated activation of these areas in mothers of younger babies, during the first few months of life (18, 24), suggesting that these regions may be more important during the early postpartum period.”
From What’s in a smile? Maternal brain responses to infant facial cues (2008) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“Activation of these regions may reflect an increase in arousal, obsessive/anxiety circuits that may be normally temporarily more active for parents and persistently sensitive with some mental illnesses (Swain et al., 2007).”
From The human parental brain: In vivo neuroimaging (2011) · cites this paper as Swain et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“These emotional circuits might include the ventral tegmental area, striatum, amygdala, insula, cingulate cortex and OFC (Mayes et al., 2005; Swain et al., 2007).”
From The human parental brain: In vivo neuroimaging (2011) · cites this paper as Swain et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“First, key parenting sensory signals, including cry, visuals as well as touch and smell from baby (A), must be organized in sensory cortices which appraise the input and interact with subcortical memory and motivation structures (B).”
From The human parental brain: In vivo neuroimaging (2011) · cites this paper as Swain et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“using audiovisual stimuli of babies during functional imaging – particularly with contrasts of own versus unknown babies - to activate brain regions that recognize and respond to the special salience to the parent of one’s own baby stimuli (Barrett and Fleming, 2011; Swain, 2011b; Swain et al., 2007).”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Swain et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“Supportive studies have demonstrated that human mothers can recognize the cries of their own infants, and mothers and fathers activate brain in areas hypothesized to be involved in mammalian parenting behavior (Swain and Lorberbaum, 2008; Swain et al., 2007).”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Swain et al., 2007
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Sorted by citations
The brain basis of emotion: a meta-analytic review
Lindquist, K. A., Wager, T. D., Kober, H., Bliss-Moreau, E., & Barrett, L. F. (2012) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x11000446 · Cited by 2,320
“Several groups have been studying the brain basis of maternal response to baby-cry and related behaviors within a relatively locationist framework (Swain et al. 2007).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Swain, J. E., Lorberbaum, J. P., Kose, S., & Strathearn, L.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Baylor College of Medicine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Swain, James E.
- Venue
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-03
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 262-287
- ISSN
- 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7610
- PMC
- PMC4318551
- OpenAlex
- W2161866296
- Semantic Scholar
- 8391927148bd67b82afe53c8d65030c675f8953d
- Cited by
- 499
- References
- 210
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 45
- FWCI
- 4.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH018268)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS40259-01, R01NS040259)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K12-HD-41648, R03HD049422, K12HD041648, R03 HD49422-01, K23HD043097)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Health and Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- parental behavior, parent-infant relationship, social bonding, neurohormones, cocaine abuse, brain circuits, caregiving, empathy, motivation, attention, decision-making
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Arousal, Brain, Breast Feeding, Child Development, Emotions, Empathy, Female, Hormones, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Maternal Behavior, Nerve Net, Object Attachment, Parent-Child Relations, Parenting, Receptors, Oxytocin, Neurotransmitter Agents
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