Hair oxytocin levels may reflect parent–child emotional bond

A new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev suggests that oxytocin measured in hair samples may provide insight into the emotional connection between parents and young children. The study examined whether chronic oxytocin levels—reflecting hormone secretion over several months—are associated with the quality of parent–child interaction.

The work is published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology.

Oxytocin is widely known for its role in social bonding and caregiving. Most previous research has measured oxytocin in saliva, which captures short-term changes. In contrast, hair-based measurement offers a more stable, long-term biological marker.

The research was led by Prof. Florina Uzefovsky of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and focused on 28 mother–child pairs, with children aged 3–5 years. Oxytocin levels were measured from hair samples collected from both mothers and children, while the quality of their relationship was assessed during observed free-play interactions.

The researchers found that children’s hair oxytocin levels were higher than those of their mothers, and that oxytocin levels within each mother–child pair were positively correlated.

Higher maternal oxytocin levels were associated with higher-quality emotional interaction between mother and child. This link was strongest when children’s oxytocin levels were low to average, suggesting that biological factors from both mother and child may jointly shape interaction quality.

Because of the study’s small sample size, the researchers emphasize that the findings are exploratory and require replication in larger groups. Still, the results point to hair oxytocin as a promising tool for studying long-term biological processes related to caregiving and emotional connection.