title: Effect of maternal malnutrition during the reproductive cycle on growth and nutritional status of suckling rat pups.
abstract: To assess the impact of maternal malnutrition imposed at various stages of the reproductive cycle on pup growth and nutritional status, rats were fed 50% of the intake of control animals fed ad libitum either before pregnancy (R-B), before and during pregnancy (R-BP), during lactation (R-L), or throughout the experimental period (R-BPL). Regardless of the prior nutritional status of their dams, at 14 days of age pups nursed by restricted dams (R-L, R-BPL) were smaller and had less carcass fat and lower plasma albumin, plasma and liver vitamin A, and liver pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase values than those nursed by dams fed ad libitum (C, R-B, R-BP). Pups nursed by chronically underfed dams (R-BPL) had lower Hb and plasma vitamin A values than those nursed by acutely malnourished (R-L) dams. The nutritional status of pups suckled by previously malnourished dams refed during lactation (R-BP) was similar to those suckled by controls except for plasma albumin and vitamin A values. We conclude that maternal nutritional status influenced pup growth and nutritional status and that permitting voluntary intake of an adequate diet during lactation was effective in preventing malnutrition in suckling young.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D007774:Lactation; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D051381:Rats