Oxytocin is known as "the love hormone" or "the cuddle hormone." It is an important hormone for promoting bonding, giving care and social interaction.
A new research shows that low oxytocin levels during pregnancy and after delivering the baby are linked to an early separation of new parents, according to Yahoo Parenting. "What these data suggest is that lower maternal oxytocin levels are associated with the risk of relationship dissolution by the time the child is a toddler," McGill University psychologist and researcher Jennifer Bartz told the media during the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual meeting in San Diego.
The research involved the study of oxytocin levels during the first trimester of pregnancy, third trimester and several weeks after giving birth of more than 300 women. After two and a half years, the researchers followed up with the female participants to check on their relationship status. Seven of the 188 women that the research team was able to reach after a few years had already separated with their partner.
"But the seven women who had been through breakups had lower oxytocin levels during their first trimester of pregnancy and during the postpartum period than the women who'd stayed with their partners, on average," Yahoo Parenting reported. The higher the oxytocin levels, the better the survival of the couple's relationship.
These findings do not necessarily mean that the low oxytocin level itself is the cause of the break-ups. Instead, high oxytocin levels might help create a better and more loving household environment with less arguments and fights between the mother and father.
Low oxytocin levels during pregnancy and after childbirth could also mean that the mothers had fewer amounts of love and support coming from their partners during those times. TODAY has an advice for couples to prevent separation. "A couple can significantly improve their chances of marital success by devoting as little as 15 minutes a day exclusively to each other."
