Abstract Objective We compare maternal and adult child health outcomes across (1) estranged (i.e., no contact, or low contact and low quality), (2) socially positive (i.e., high quality, moderate to high contact), and (3) socially negative (i.e., high contact but low quality) maternal–adult child relationships. Background…
Tag: Maternal Behavior
Tracing maternal behavior to brain immune function
Immune system changes in the pregnant body that protect the fetus appear to extend to the brain, where a decrease in immune cells late in gestation may factor into the onset of maternal behavior, new research in rats suggests.
Changes in cholesterol production lead to tragic octopus death spiral
Cholesterol metabolism is responsible for an unusual “death spiral” that some octopus mothers undergo after laying their eggs. The research, published May 12 in Current Biology, reveals that steroid hormones play critical roles in metabolism, behavior, life history and health across the animal kingdom.