A father’s love, as it happens, not only helps his child’s brain develop better, but also affects his own. A study published in Neuroscience was done on degus, rat-like mammals who, like human beings, are biparental, with degu fathers behaving like human fathers in taking care of their young by warming, grooming and helping with their basic care.
Researchers found that when they separated the degu fathers from their pups, the offsprings’ brains started to work differently than those pups who had access to their dads. Specifically, the degu pups who didn’t have fathers had fewer synapses in both the orbitofront cortex and the somatosensory cortex — regions of the brain responsible for decision-making, rewards and emotion. Researchers say this could explain why some children brought up without fathers or father figures find it hard to fit into society.
“We don’t know the exact neurobiology behind the formation of a [father-child] bond,” says Sukel. “Chemicals like vasopressin, oxytocin, and prolactin appear to be important in mediating that bond, and are known to work directly on brain regions that are involved in both emotion and reward process — but how exactly they are working that voodoo, both together and apart, has yet to be determined.”
Nature And Nurture
Babies not only make their own oxytocin but also get it from their mother’s milk, a harmonious relationship that allows the mother-child bond to form. Research has shown that there is decreased release of oxytocin for babies who are not nursing; however, it is higher in infants who are bottle-fed in the arms of their parents. Regular touch from either or both parents is essential in creating this oxytocin.
This is important, because studies show that in infants who don’t receive this oxytocin-producing care, the level of the stress hormone cortisol is much higher. This chemical is shown to be associated with permanent brain changes that lead to increased level of stress throughout life, as well as higher blood pressure and heart rate.
“I can’t speak to the psychological effects of not having a dad, but neurobiologically, I ’m not sure that it matters,” says Sukel. “Many mammal species are alloparental — that is, the whole family, including moms, dads, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even cousins may be involved in raising offspring.” Sukel says that having two or more caregivers around — not necessarily mom and dad — is a benefit to the infant because they can share the load and give the child more attention.
“While there is ample evidence that a child will selectively bond with their caregivers and that special attachment would normally go to mom or dad, there’s no evidence to suggest that you couldn’t have that same kind of relationship with your mom or your grandmother or your dad and your aunt Meg. This brain plasticity is based on your environment, so it would seem that who is around matters a lot more neurobiologically than who is not,” Sukel contends.
So, does it matter whether the biological parents are present or not?
“When fathers are not around,” says Brizendine, “the baby (and the mother) is less likely to thrive. in some more primitive societies, a baby has three times more chance of dying without a father present. everything that happens to us in childhood (and beyond) affects the brain — for better and for worse.” But, she’s quick to add, “Being adopted — for example Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison — doesn’t mean you won’t be successful in life. if the adoptive parents are loving and supportive, then the child has a good chance of reaching his or her full potential.”
According to experts, early experiences have a profound impact on the brain, because maltreatment or abandonment causes deficits in the development of brain regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex and corpus callosum, because of the toxic effects of the release of stress hormones in the developing brain.
That’s why when dads are present, kids automatically tend to do better physically, emotionally and mentally. “The big difference is between nondads and dads,” says Brizendine. “it’s sort of like riding a bicycle — the more experienced dads have already activated that part of their brains. and those areas are easy to reactivate whenever needed.”
This article is updated from its initial publication in Brain World Magazine’s print edition.