Neonatal undernutrition and self-grooming development in the rat: long-term effects

The effect of neonatal undernutrition on six different self-grooming components was examined in male rats during the pre- and postweaning periods. Rats underfed by the maternal nipple-ligation procedure before weaning did not exhibit significant score differences in the various self-grooming measurements. In contrast, after weaning they showed a significant increment in the duration of face-washing, head-washing, fur licking and body-scratching. In all cases, the total postweaning self-grooming activity was significantly increased in the formerly underfed rats. Present data suggest that neonatal undernutrition may presumably interfere with the sequential maturational processes of central and/or peripheral mechanisms underlying some components of self-grooming behavior.