title: Abnormal, abusive, and stress-related behaviors in baboon mothers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychiatric disturbances during pregnancy and the postpartum period are especially serious, given the negative effects on the mother as well as the child. Understanding the causes of such disturbances has been difficult owing to the complexity of psychological, social, experiential, biological, and genetic factors involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine the potential utility of a nonhuman primate model for the study of postpartum disorders, the pathologic and stress-related behavior of 62 female baboons living in social groups was studied during pregnancy and after the birth of an infant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of abnormal behavior and self-directed scratching (a measure of stress response) was higher after birth of the infant. Subjects displayed a significantly higher frequency per hour of these behaviors postpartum, which increased over 8 weeks. Abusive behaviors toward the infant were common, occurring in 55% of the subjects. Mothers with low dominance rank, who usually have lower levels of social support, had higher levels of abusive behavior during the postpartum period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baboons show variation in measurable behaviors related to stress and abnormal functioning during the pre- and postpartum periods, indicating that a nonhuman primate model may be useful in the study of factors affecting postpartum psychiatric disorders and infant abuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine and Southwest National Primate Research Center, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas 78245, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brent
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koban
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramirez
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D010215:Papio; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological