Oxytocin research and findings

Posted by Judith Sanford

At the biological level researchers have identified a neuropeptide that is associated with the feelings of love, caring and sensuality. It is called oxytocin and is often used to induce uterine contractions during childbirth. It also is known to flood our brains and have lasting affects during moments of intimacy, especially when a mother is breast-feeding her baby or during intimate sex. It permanently changes regions of the brain associated with intimacy and sexuality connecting them with those we love and trust. This is the bio-chemical that promotes long attachments and associations with wants, desires and sexuality.

Oxytocin in the form of a nasal spray has been shown to reduce symptoms of social stress, increase trust and connection with others, especially those of our in-group. Oxytocin can also increase the powers of empathy and the ability to understand what others are thinking. A shot of oxytocin to the brain will increase the tendency to gaze in the eyes of others and help you remember the names of people you recently met.

Some studies with men who had avoidance attached issues found that after only one dose of oxytocin they were more likely to respond as secure when assessing attachment images and phrases linked to security, comfort and safety with others. Researchers suggest that it could be used effectively in therapy sessions to promote changes toward secure attachment relationships over time.

A recent study has shown that an external dose of oxytocin can change memories of how nurturing a person's mother was. The researchers found that the effects of oxytocin depended on the attachment representations people possess. Securely attached individuals remembered their mother as more caring and close after oxytocin (vs. placebo). In contrast more anxiously attached individuals remembered their mother as less caring and close after oxytocin.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin conducted an oxytocin study and found that oxytocin increases blood flow to the genitals in much the same way as Viagra.  High levels of oxytocin often cause arousal in males leading to longer and firmer erections and larger amounts of seminal fluid.  Researchers state that men may find oxytocin as effective Viagra. Researchers reported that breast-feeding mothers and their infants often have genital engorgement, mostly with infant males.  Researchers are unsure why, but these increases are highest with boys due to larger increasing levels of oxytocin and larger amounts of the hormone testosterone from mother to son, particularly when the sensation of milk is coming from the breasts. 

A study from the Journal of Midwifery explains that oxytocin and it's affect on testosterone is very powerful.  In a study they site, over 40% of women who breast-feed claim to have been aroused.  Over 12% on a regular basis.  Of those 7% have become aroused to the point of orgasm.  However, the majority of those that have an orgasm have been when breast-feeding sons due to the mother's increased testosterone levels.  The researchers state that oxytocin is responsible for the arousal and women shouldn't be surprised by these feeling because nipple stimulation causes an arousal response in all mammals. 

A European breast-feeding study found oxytocin release was associated with breast anatomy.  And oxytocin and testosterone increased while breast-feeding.  Of breast-feeding mothers, areola stimulation led to only small oxytocin and testosterone releases independent of areola size, larger increase in oxytocin and testosterone where detected in breast-feeding mothers with longer and larger prominent nipples due to increased stimulation.  While breast-feeding, women with the largest nipples in the study (>2cm long and >1cm wide) experience more than twice the amount of oxytocin and testosterone as women with average sized nipples(.4cm+-.1cm long and .5cm+-.1cm wide) .  In fact researchers claim that women with larger nipples have a testosterone level equivalent to a woman's level while fantasizing about sex.  These increases were significantly greater when breast-feeding sons by 130%. Similarly, breast-feed sons had much higher testosterone levels during breast-feeding (254 ng/dl) compared to levels of bottle-fed sons (13 ng/dl) and as compared to daughters (<1 ng/dl). Researchers stated that this higher level is comparable to some adult men and is most likely the reason breast-feed sons often have engorged genitals and erections while being breast-feeding (43-52% of the time).   Likewise, that higher testosterone levels while a mother breastfeeds a son is the reason they are more likely to be arousal.  Researchers state that this is the reason a nursing mother is more likely to orgasm while nursing their sons also.  Researchers also state that it has been statistically shown that adolescent boys have a larger penis when breastfed to at least 12 months by mother's with longer nipples.  A chart from the study explains shows the increases in testosterone while breast-feeding and why breast-feeding boys have more erections during breast-feeding.  (scale of 5 for illustration) 

Oxytocin may have a dark side.  Research suggests that oxytocin changes the same regions of the brain whether engaging in sexual behavior or breast-feeding. In a European controversial double-blind Masters/Kinsey study, mothers 50 years old or younger with adolescent sons were asked to submit a recent photo of their son.  More than 600 submissions where gathered for this study.  Of those, two groups were established: with non-breastfed sons and 12-24 months of breast-feeding.  Participants were further screened based on photo quality, truthfulness score, and willingness to participate in a paid autonomic/vasomotor study requiring participants to view displayed images for a period of 3 minutes.  The participants were told they must view the images for the entire 3 minutes to receive compensation and that the results would be confidential.  Those scoring the highest were individually fitted with sensors put in a private viewing room and shown computer images of couples engaging in sexual acts for 30 seconds, followed by a 30 second confidence pause, followed by an image of their adolescent son for 30 seconds, and a final 60 second confidence pause before concluding the test.  The statistics revealed that mothers of non-breastfed sons showed only slight increases in physiological responses.  However, mothers of breastfed sons showed an increase in those outputs associated with arousal, respiration, pulse rate, and specifically nipple and labia temperature and nipple and labia systolic blood pressure (indicates greater blood volume).  Researchers then gave each of them a private verbal survey after indicating that they had accurately gathered data and asking them if they felt aroused by seeing the last photo.  This data revealed that 84% of the breastfed mothers were aroused with a statistical accuracy rate of 92%+-2 while only 16% of the non-breastfed mothers were.  Of the 61 involved in the study, only 1 disputed their numerical values.  Of the 84% that showed arousal, all admitted to being aroused and having vaginal secretions by physical contact with their sons, such as skin to skin contact, massage, or hugging when nipples where stimulated, etc.  Mothers of breastfed sons should not be surprised by this data or when contact or sensory causes some sexual arousal due to oxytocin and testosterone increasing the sexual component of mother son bonding.

Researchers suggest that, while a mother is breast-feeding, a brain mapping of oxytocin and testosterone causes her to feel the need to breast-feed.  This mapping stays with the mother throughout her childbearing years.  So, it is natural for a mother to think about breast-feeding her son when he is an adolescent and react to hormones associated with his breast-feeding.  This often leads to arousal if skin to skin contact with their adolescent sons.  Some Asian cultures recognize the mothers arousal by her son as a normal and natural bonding.    

Researchers suggest that breast-feeding changes the long term sexual mapping of a breast-feeding mother’s brain due to oxytocin’s influence and increases in testosterone while breast-feeding boys.  Perhaps, just as mammalian females, such as domesticated animals, procreate with their male sons, human mother may have an unknown want or need to do so now for an ancient biological reasons.  One common theory is that male fathers often died at an earlier age.  When mothers were isolated and to ensure her own safety as well as meet her sexual needs, a mother would desire her own son because oxytocin has altered her brain to do so.  

Some Asian cultures encourage oxytocin bonding between mother son as a night of rite-of-passage into manhood by a mother encouraging her adolescent son to breast-feed while they sleep scantily clothed in the parent's bed while the father spends the night away. It is expected for the mother to sleep shirtless and have sensual contact. As unacceptable as this might sound in the Western world, this is accepted and encouraged in parts of Asia and encouraged by both mother and father.  However, the same is not true for the girls of these cultures.  They are expected to remain virginal until marriage.      

Geneticist claim DNA evidence that this was very common in our recent past and should be considered a component of normal genetic sexual attraction. Research indicates those ancient mechanisms still exist today as mother and son sexual relationships are not uncommon even in modern society, though many are kept in secret.  Some statistics indicate that as much as 8-12% of mothers and sons have had sexual relations.  

It appears that oxytocin evolved as a biological mechanism that helped our ancient ancestors identify whether others had a long -term commitment to a person or group and to establish sexual engagement of various kinds.