Effect of handling on maternal behavior following return of pups to the nest.
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.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001835:Body Weight; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D051381:Rats; D014886:Weaning