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Study · Measured the body's own peptide · 2021

1 result

A soft baby carrier intervention enhances amygdala responses to infant crying in fathers: A randomized controlled trial.

Riem MME, Lotz AM, Horstman LI, Cima M, Verhees MWFT, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ

Psychoneuroendocrinology6 Aug 2021Cited by 16 (Europe PMC)

PMID34391194 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105380 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-34391194
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Summary

New fathers may grow into their parental role through active involvement in childcare. Spending time in physical contact with the child may promote an adaptive transition to fatherhood. In this randomized controlled trial, we tested the effects of a baby carrier intervention on fathers' hormonal and neural functioning. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined whether infant carrying affects neural reactivity to infant crying in first-time fathers, taking into account the role of the hormone oxytocin as a mediating mechanism and fathers' own childhood experiences as a potential moderating factor. Sixty first-time fathers (infant age M = 11.18 weeks, SD = 2.08) were randomly assigned to a baby carrier intervention group (n = 32 fathers) or a control group (n = 28 fathers). Fathers in the intervention group were instructed to use a baby carrier for three weeks, whereas fathers in the control group were instructed to use a baby seat. Before and after the intervention salivary oxytocin was measured and neural reactivity to infant crying was assessed using fMRI. Results showed that the infant carrier intervention increased amygdala reactivity to infant crying compared to the infant seat users. This effect was most pronounced in fathers with experiences of childhood abuse. The carrier intervention did not affect fathers' oxytocin levels. Our findings indicate that spending time in physical contact with the infant may promote attention to and accurate perception of infant signals, in particular in fathers with more adverse childhood experiences. Soft baby carriers may, therefore, facilitate an adaptive transition to fatherhood.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study1

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

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. 01HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In first-time fathers, a three-week baby carrier intervention did not change salivary oxytocin levels compared with baby seat use.

    In plain wordsIn new fathers, using a baby carrier did not change the body's own oxytocin levels in saliva compared with using a baby seat.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeSalivary oxytocin level after baby carrier intervention
    Study

    n = 60

    Comparator
    Baby seat (control group)
    Outcome group
    Sex hormones and fertility · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The carrier intervention did not affect fathers' oxytocin levels.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Sixty first-time fathers (infant age M = 11.18 weeks, SD = 2.08) were randomly assigned to a baby carrier intervention group (n = 32 fathers) or a control group (n = 28 fathers).
    Summary · context
    Before and after the intervention salivary oxytocin was measured and neural reactivity to infant crying was assessed using fMRI.

    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, 00:50 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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