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A Preliminary Review of Whether Prior Reproductive Experience Influences Caregiving
Author(s) -
Maupin Angela N.,
Roginiel Aliya C.,
Rutherford Helena J. V.,
Mayes Linda C.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
new directions for child and adolescent development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1534-8687
pISSN - 1520-3247
DOI - 10.1002/cad.20169
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , adolescent development , social psychology
The transition to parenthood marks a significant developmental period for the mother. Clinical and preclinical studies evidence neural and hormonal changes that support maternal behavior that is critical to infant survival and development. These changes suggest marked plasticity as a result of reproduction in the mother. Furthermore, multiple reproductive experiences may contribute to long‐lasting changes to support more efficient and competent caregiving with subsequent pregnancies and births. However, less is known about neural, hormonal, and behavioral changes that occur as a function of parity—the number of children a woman has. Here, we highlight behavioral, neural, and hormonal changes that occur as women transition to parenthood, with a special emphasis on parity‐related changes. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed, as well as clinical implications to be considered in light of parity research.