Is there mother-infant bonding in primates?

The study of mother-infant bonding was stimulated by concepts and data imported from animal research. However, the occurrence of mother-infant bonding in nonhuman primates has not been systematically investigated. Information obtained from naturalistic observations of infant adoption, experimental studies of infant cross-fostering, and studies of mother-infant recognition in primates suggest that the first few days of the postpartum period are a sensitive period for maternal motivation. During this period, primate mothers are highly attracted to infants and motivated to take care of them, and therefore in optimal conditions to bond with their offspring. This does not necessarily imply, however, that bonding cannot occur during subsequent postnatal periods or that small differences in time spent in contact by mother and infant during the early postpartum days have long-lasting consequences for development or parenting. The determinants of temporal changes in maternal motivation during the postpartum period or of individual differences in maternal motivation have been poorly investigated in humans. The primate evidence can stimulate human research in this area and enhance our understanding of some adaptive and maladaptive processes underlying parenting behavior and child development. (C) 2001 Academic Press.