Final answer:
It is true that maternal care is linked to oxytocin receptor levels. Oxytocin facilitates childbirth through positive feedback, promotes postpartum maternal behaviors like breastfeeding, and enhances mother-infant bonding.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that maternal care is also linked to oxytocin receptor levels is true. Oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone”, plays a significant role in the physiology of childbirth and maternal behaviors. During labor, oxytocin stimulates the smooth muscle in the uterine wall to contract, enhancing the process of childbirth through a positive feedback mechanism. As contractions increase, more oxytocin is released, which leads to more intense contractions and further dilation of the cervix until birth occurs. Following childbirth, oxytocin continues to contribute to maternal care by facilitating the milk ejection reflex necessary for breastfeeding and by promoting parental bonding with the newborn.
Additionally, the let-down reflex in breastfeeding involves oxytocin release as a response to the newborn's suckling, causing cells in the milk ducts to contract and produce milk. The hormone also increases the mother's oxytocin receptor levels, amplifying feelings of love and attachment, suggesting a correlation between oxytocin receptor levels and the quality of maternal care. This multifaceted role of oxytocin underscores its importance in both the physical aspects of childbirth and the subsequent emotional bonding and caregiving.