Prolactin, fatherhood, and reproductive behavior in human males.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective cohort study evaluating cross-sectional and longitudinal associations
PubMed 22576125 · doi:10.1002/ajpa.22058
What was done
The authors evaluated the relationship between prolactin concentrations (assayed from dried blood spots) and male reproductive status in a sample of 289 men aged 21–23 at baseline from Metropolitan Cebu City, Philippines. Cross-sectional differences between fathers and nonfathers were examined, and single nonfathers at baseline were followed longitudinally over 4.5 years to determine whether baseline prolactin predicted transition to fatherhood. Relationships with lifetime and recent sexual behavior were also assessed.
What was found
The abstract reports p-values without absolute hormone concentrations or effect sizes: - Fathers had significantly higher prolactin than nonfathers (P = 0.006). - Fathers of infants had borderline higher prolactin than fathers of older children (P = 0.054). - Baseline prolactin among single nonfathers did not predict transition to fatherhood by 4.5-year follow-up. - Among nonfathers, higher prolactin was associated with more lifetime sexual partners (P = 0.050) and borderline associated with more sexual activity in the month before sampling (P = 0.060).
Why it matters
This study provides observational evidence that human paternal care is associated with elevated prolactin levels, particularly during infancy, mirroring biological patterns seen in other nurturing species.
Limits
The abstract reports no absolute hormone values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. The sample is restricted to young men from a single geographic setting (Cebu, Philippines), limiting generalizability. Findings on sexual behavior relied on self-reports, and baseline prolactin failed to longitudinally predict future fatherhood.
Cited by
- supports Prolactin levels rise in men around the transition to fatherhood.