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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 35 · 2012

8 results

Oxytocin administration to parent enhances infant physiological and behavioral readiness for social engagement.

Weisman O, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R

Biological psychiatry13 Jul 2012Cited by 165 (Europe PMC)

PMID22795645 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.06.011 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-22795645
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study8

7 results from studies that gave the peptide. 7 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialPharmacokinetics

    In fathers, oxytocin administration increased salivary oxytocin compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, giving oxytocin raised oxytocin levels in saliva compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseFather salivary oxytocin
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pharmacokinetics · Pharmacology
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin administration increased father salivary OT, RSA during free play, and key parenting behaviors that support parental-infant bonding.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In fathers, oxytocin administration increased RSA during free play compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, oxytocin raised respiratory sinus arrhythmia, a heart-rate-related measure, during free play compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseFather respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during free play
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin administration increased father salivary OT, RSA during free play, and key parenting behaviors that support parental-infant bonding.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In fathers, oxytocin administration increased key parenting behaviors that support parent-infant bonding compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, oxytocin increased parenting behaviors that support bonding compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseParenting behaviors supporting parent-infant bonding
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin administration increased father salivary OT, RSA during free play, and key parenting behaviors that support parental-infant bonding.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In 5-month-old infants, oxytocin given to the father increased the infant's RSA response compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn infants, giving the father oxytocin raised respiratory sinus arrhythmia, a heart-rate-related measure, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseInfant RSA response after paternal oxytocin
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Parallel increases were also found in the infant's salivary OT, RSA response, and engagement behavior, including social gaze, exploration, and social reciprocity.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In 5-month-old infants, oxytocin given to the father increased the infant's social gaze compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn infants, giving the father oxytocin increased the infant's social gaze compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseInfant social gaze after paternal oxytocin
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Parallel increases were also found in the infant's salivary OT, RSA response, and engagement behavior, including social gaze, exploration, and social reciprocity.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In 5-month-old infants, oxytocin given to the father increased the infant's exploration compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn infants, giving the father oxytocin increased the infant's exploration compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseInfant exploration after paternal oxytocin
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Parallel increases were also found in the infant's salivary OT, RSA response, and engagement behavior, including social gaze, exploration, and social reciprocity.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.
  7. 07HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In 5-month-old infants, oxytocin given to the father increased the infant's social reciprocity compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn infants, giving the father oxytocin increased the infant's social reciprocity compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseInfant social reciprocity after paternal oxytocin
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Parallel increases were also found in the infant's salivary OT, RSA response, and engagement behavior, including social gaze, exploration, and social reciprocity.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.

Natural levels measured1

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

  1. 08HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialOther

    In 5-month-old infants, oxytocin given to the father was followed by an increase in the infant's own salivary oxytocin compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn infants, giving the father oxytocin raised the infant's own oxytocin levels compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseInfant salivary oxytocin after paternal oxytocin
    Study

    n = 35

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Parallel increases were also found in the infant's salivary OT, RSA response, and engagement behavior, including social gaze, exploration, and social reciprocity.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 35 fathers and their 5-month-old infants were observed twice following administration of OT or placebo to father in the face-to-face still-face paradigm.
    Summary · context
    Parent and infant salivary OT were assessed at multiple time points, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the three face-to-face still-face episodes, and social behaviors of the parent and child were micro-coded for indices of social engagement.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:50 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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