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Effect of handling on maternal behavior following return of pups to the nest

R Villescas, R W Bell, L Wright

    Developmental Psychobiology
    |July 1, 1977
    PubMed

    Handling rat pups during the 1st week after birth altered adult behavior in the open-field, whereas simply spearating the pups from their mothers during the same period produced differences in body weight at weaning. Observations of mother-infant interaction following pup treatment yielded different patterns of maternal behavior. Moreover, pups receiving early treatment were more active as adults in a novel environment and had a greater body weight at weaning. The quality of maternal care and the immediate effects of infantile stimulation on the mother-infant relation should be considered in specifying a mediating mechanism for the effects of early experience.

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