Reference no: EM133458295
Assignment:
Give comments for this paragraph:
1) New concepts that I learned included the study that was done to observe the role of oxytocin in parent and infant bonding. Samples of oxytocin were taken throughout a mothers pregnancy. The levels of oxytocin were high during the pregnancy and after birth and would continue to grow the more the infant and mother bonded. With fathers, levels were identical to mothers and would continue to grow the more parents engaged with their baby. What I found the most surprising about this study was that the surge of oxytocin at birth activated the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for making someone vigilant and worried about their child. For mothers, the amygdala became activated and would be stay activated forever, no matter how old their child was. In comparison, fathers' amygdalae were about a quarter of what you would see in mothers, unless the father was the primary caregiver, you would see their amygdalae as activated as the mothers.
2) This episode stresses the importance of attentive and responsive caregivers and how the relationships between adults and children helps structure the development of a child's brain. When reflecting on the study of how different parenting styles affect the brain, caregivers who were not as responsive, those children had bigger hippocampi, the part of the brain that manages stress. These children learned to prioritize their safety and comfort and learn to care for themselves, rather than feeling safe to explore the world around them. As an educator, it is my responsibility to provide a safe, predictable environment where children feel comfortable exploring and know that in stressful situations, they can depend on me to feel heard, cared for and supported.
3) This series made me curious about whether the study of oxytocin in caregivers was also done in lesbian couples who had their children through surrogacy/adoption. Would their levels of oxytocin be the same as mothers who gave birth? Additionally, I am curious about the role of oxytocin in pregnant people with a history of clinical depression or anxiety, as well as pregnant people with postpartum depression. Does any previous history of mental illness affect a person's ability to produce high levels of oxytocin comparative to the parents that participated in the study?