Endocrine activation mimics the adverse effects of prenatal stress on the neuromotor development of the infant primate.
Pregnant female rhesus monkeys were exposed to a 2-week period of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to determine whether it would affect the early neuromotor development of their fetuses in a manner similar to that observed after psychological stressors. During the first month after birth, infants were tested on two occasions with a modification of the Brazelton Newborn Behavioral Assessment Scale. Infants derived from ACTH-treated pregnancies showed early impairments in motor coordination and muscle tonicity and shorter attention spans as compared to controls. In addition, on a temperament rating scale, infants from the ACTH condition were more irritable and difficult to console. These findings indicate that a delimited period of endocrine activation during pregnancy can have an adverse effect on infant neurobehavioral development, like that of prenatal stress.
Schneider
M L
ML
Department of Therapeutic Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Coe
C L
CL
Lubach
G R
GR
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000009:adverse effects; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013315:Stress, Psychological
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone