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How the neonatal rat gets to the nipple. II. Changes during development
D Eilam1, D Goffman, W P Smotherman
1Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
Developmental Psychobiology
|April 16, 1999
Summary
Newborn pups change how they find and attach to their mother's nipple as they develop. Early on, they supinate first, but later, they attach while prone, suggesting shared motor control for different behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Postnatal development involves significant changes in motor sequences.
- Early infant behaviors, like nipple attachment, are crucial for survival and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental changes in nipple attachment motor sequences in pups.
- To explore the relationship between nipple attachment and righting reflexes.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of pup behavior during the first two postnatal weeks.
- Analysis of postural adjustments and movement sequences during nipple seeking.
Main Results:
- In the first postnatal week, pups rotate to a supine posture before crawling and attaching to a nipple.
- By the second postnatal week, pups establish nipple contact before supination, and attachment can occur in a prone posture by postnatal Day 11.
- Developmental changes in nipple attachment mirror those in righting reflexes.
Conclusions:
- Nipple attachment and righting reflexes may originate from common motor modules.
- Motor control mechanisms for gravity-dependent (righting) and gravity-independent (nipple attachment) behaviors share similarities.
- These findings highlight the early development of coordinated motor behaviors.