EFFECTS OF MATERNAL STRAIN FETAL STRAIN AND MODE OF DELIVERY ON MATERNAL RESPONSIVENESS AND OFFSPRING DEVELOPMENT

Wistar or Charles River CD fetuses were delivered normally or by cesarean section (at term) and given to either Wistar or Charles River CD foster mothers. The data indicate that Wistar mothers are slower to retrieve than CD mothers. In addition, offspring strain and mode of delivery interact to modify the pattern of retrieving latencies for consecutive pups. Cesarean delivered fetuses did not survive as well as normally delivered fetuses when the foster mother and the fetuses' strain were the same but no differences in survival were found between normal and cesarean delivered fetuses when the foster mother and fetal strain were different. Growth rates were faster for fetuses reared by CD mothers. No differences between the experimental groups were found among offspring on the reaction-to-handling (RTH) test or in plasma corticosterone concentration 15 min later although the RTH did result in an increase in corticosterone concentration. © 1969.