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Neonatal stimulation, maternal behavior, and accelerated maturation in BALB/c mice
Author(s) -
Cross Michael S.,
LaBarba Richard C.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420110112
Subject(s) - stimulation , balb/c , maternal deprivation , psychology , andrology , biology , developmental psychology , neuroscience , medicine , immunology , immune system
An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of neonatal handling and hypothermia on infant physical maturation and growth and on maternal behavior in BALB/c mice. Stringent methodological and statistical controls were employed for experimenter bias and litter effects. No evidence appeared to support claims that neonatal stimulation leads to accelerated physical maturation. Alterations in maternal behavior patterns were found only immediately following hypothermia of pups. Maternal behavior did not correlate highly with offspring maturational rates, but maternal weight and age and pup birth weight were highly predictive of infant physical maturation.