Progesterone and estrogen responsiveness to father-toddler interaction

Objectives We assessed the responsiveness of salivary progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) to father-child interaction, including testing for differences in short-term hormonal change based on paternal characteristics. We also predicted that P4 exposure during the study period would relate positively to post-interaction paternal mood. Methods We conducted an in-home intervention study in which fathers (n?=?44) played with their toddlers. Subjects provided saliva samples before interacting with their children, with additional collections 40 and 70 min later. Results E2 did not significantly change over the study period (P?>?0.4). P4 declined significantly from baseline to 40 min (P?