Procedure for Successfully Introducing Cesarean-delivered Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta) Infants to Their Mothers

To reduce the high rate of maternal rejection after cesarean delivery, we developed a protocol for introducing cesarean-delivered rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) infants to their mothers. The new protocol was used with 14 pregnant females and the resulting infants. After an early morning cesarean section, the mother was covered with a clean towel and returned to her cage. Infants received standard nursery care until the first introduction attempt (after the mother had fully recovered from general anesthesia). The infant was rubbed with maternal blood-soaked laparotomy pads that were saved from surgery, then the infant was placed into the mother's cage. If the mother did not allow the infant to suckle within an hour of introduction, the towel placed with the mother after surgery and the infant were placed together in a nursery cage overnight. Daily attempts to introduce the infant (and the towel) continued until it was accepted or maternal behavior precluded further attempts. Within 3 days after surgery, 72% of the females had accepted their infants. All the females who accepted their infants had previous vaginal deliveries and had successfully reared at least one other infant. Our experience suggests that initial maternal rejection does not mean the mother will never accept the infant and that multiple introduction attempts should be made before nursery-rearing an infant.