Prolactin and testosterone levels in first-time fathers with skin-to-skin contact with their infants soon after birth by caesarean section
Institution: | University of Cape Town |
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Department: | |
Degree: | MS |
Year: | 2014 |
Keywords: | Nursing |
Record ID: | 1416208 |
Full text PDF: | http://hdl.handle.net/11180/9634 |
Includes abstract. Parental care is vital for the development and survival of offspring. Hormones are known to influence parental care behaviours. Hormonal changes accompanying gestation and delivery have been shown to initiate and maintain maternal care behaviours. Most of the knowledge on hormonal effects on paternal care is from non-human animal studies. Little is known about the effect of hormones on human paternal behaviour. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the changes in the levels of serum prolactin and testosterone when first-time fathers have skin-to-skin contact (SSC) with their new-born infants immediately after birth by caesarean section (C/S).