Exploring the transition into fatherhood: behavioral, hormonal, and neural underpinnings of responses to infant crying

In the present hypothesis generating study, behavioral and neural responses to infant crying, as well as paternal hormone levels, were measured in both the prenatal and early postnatal period. Using a longitudinal design, we investigated parental sensitivity, handgrip force, and neural activation in response to infant crying sounds, in addition to testosterone baseline levels, in 25 first-time fathers. We describe the extent to which these aspects of paternal care are related across the perinatal period. The current exploratory study adds to the understudied field of early paternal care by making recommendations, and proposing hypotheses for future studies.