Key takeaways for healthcare providers
- Mothers and fathers show similar patterns of brain activity when exposed to stimuli from their baby.
- The observed brain changes occur in areas related to reward, motivation and empathy, and are associated with hormonal changes in mothers and fathers.
- Brain systems may reflect the parental potential available to human fathers and other mammalian fathers when they are more involved in caregiving.
Fathers’ brains respond when exposed to stimuli from their baby
The neurobiology of paternity in humans appears to be similar to the neurobiology of motherhood, involving two brain systems – a “motivational” system that refers to the urge to nurture offspring, and an “empathy” system that refers to the ability to control one’s thoughts and understand the feelings of others .
Fathers who showed pictures of their own newborns experienced more activation of empathy and reward systems than when they were shown pictures of unfamiliar newborns.
For example, mothers’ and fathers’ brain responses to photos or videos of their babies overlap. Increased activity is found in parts of the brain related to reward, motivation and empathy. In one study, increased activity in brain reward systems also correlated with the father’s active involvement in caregiving, as reported by the mother.
In another study, fathers who showed pictures of their own newborns experienced more activation of empathy and reward systems than fathers who showed pictures of unfamiliar newborns. In another study, a new father’s self-reported positive thoughts about his baby correlated with reward system activation in response to his baby’s crying. Future research will look at other brain responses in fathers – to children’s laughter, speaking and movement.
Brain changes are linked to hormonal changes triggered by engaged parenting
There is growing evidence that these changes are related to the hormones produced when fathers care for their children. The main difference between human mothers and fathers is the degree of paternity variability. After birth, most mothers are actively involved in parenting, but paternity is only activated when circumstances require or allow it, and even then it is highly variable.
When paternity is activated, neural processes similar to those in mothers take place in fathers.
In societies with small family units separated from extended family networks and in families with scarce resources, paternal involvement is necessary. When paternity is activated, neural processes similar to those in mothers take place in fathers. It is as if a parental potential is present in all people and is activated when circumstances require it.
In the wild, fathers are actively involved in caring for their young in only 5% of mammalian species (eg some primates, rodents and canids in particular). As in humans, this paternal behavior involves similar brain processes to those involved in maternal behavior. But when animals are kept in captivity and under unnatural conditions, fathers can become more active. This suggests that parental brain systems may exist in many male mammals and may be activated when an active paternal role is desirable or possible.
