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Updated: May 25, 2026
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Analysis of Electrocardiograms and Behavior in Mice from Pregnancy to Lactation Period
Published on: April 5, 2024
Maternal modulation of novelty effects on physical development.
Akaysha C Tang1, Zhen Yang, Bethany C Reeb-Sutherland
1Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. akaysha@unm.edu
Summary
Maternal factors significantly influence how early life novelty affects offspring growth. A mother's stress response and care reliability determine if novelty enhances or impairs physical development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Behavioral biology
Background:
- Neonatal exposure to novelty can impact development, but its effects are inconsistent.
- The maternal modulation hypothesis suggests maternal context alters novelty's effects on offspring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if maternal factors modulate the effects of neonatal novelty on offspring physical development.
- To extend maternal modulation findings from cognitive to physical development.
Main Methods:
- Assessed offspring body weight changes following neonatal novelty exposure.
- Examined maternal corticosterone (CORT) response to stress and postnatal care reliability as maternal factors.
Main Results:
- Neonatal novelty enhanced early growth in offspring of mothers with high CORT response, but impaired it in those with low CORT response.
- Older offspring showed increased body weight with novelty if mothers had high care reliability, and reduced weight if mothers had low care reliability.
Conclusions:
- Maternal context, including stress response and care reliability, significantly modulates early stimulation effects on physical development.
- Maternal influence on offspring development is multifaceted, involving interactions between early experiences and maternal factors.
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