Salivary oxytocin responses to infant stimuli vary by EPDS scores among postpartum Japanese mothers without clinically diagnosed postpartum depression.

ABSTRACT: Postpartum depression (PPD) significantly impacts both mothers and children, so its early detection is crucial to mitigate these effects. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used screening tool for identifying individuals at risk of PPD. However, PPD symptoms often emerge gradually, and subtle changes in maternal well-being within the low-risk EPDS range may be overlooked. Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide important for social functioning and maternal behaviors, may offer deeper insights into the progression of PPD. This exploratory cross-sectional study examined the association between EPDS scores and salivary OT responses to infant-related stimuli in postpartum Japanese mothers without PPD diagnosis. We hypothesized that OT responses would differ according to mothers'

SUBMITTER: Minami K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12753409 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature