After interviewing evolutionary anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy and other experts, a journalist concluded that fatherhood changes men in ways that echo how motherhood transforms women.
More involved fathers present deeper biological changes
The more a father engages in baby care, the deeper the biological transition becomes, with shifts in endocrine and neural systems showing nurturing fatherhood is a deeply rooted biological trait rather than a modern aberration.
Early research observed hormonal shifts in mammalian males
The earliest research on how fathers are physically changed by babies came from observations of other animals, finding that many mammalian males show clear hormonal shifts including rises and drops in testosterone, vasopressin and prolactin during active parental care.
Human father research began in earnest after early 2000s gap identified
When anthropologist Lee Gettler heard about these findings as an undergrad in the early 2000s, he found no one was studying these questions in human fathers, prompting him to later establish the Hormones, Health, and Human Behavior Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame.
What hormonal changes occur in fathers during caregiving?
Fathers experience rises and drops in hormones like testosterone, vasopressin and prolactin, similar to those seen in mothers during caregiving.
Is nurturing fatherhood a biological trait or cultural choice?
Nurturing fatherhood is a deeply rooted biological trait, not a modern aberration, with biological changes deepening the more involved a father is in baby care.
