Abitbol M L, Inglis S R
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Queens, NY 11418, USA.
J Matern Fetal Med. 1997 Jan-Feb;6(1):49-52. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6661(199701/02)6:1<49::AID-MFM10>3.0.CO;2-H.
Maternal behavior, such as licking and cleaning of the newborn, and oral consumption of the placenta and membranes is characteristic of nearly all mammals. They are the first step toward maternal acceptance and bonding in canines. Factors affecting these initial behaviors are unclear. Also the impact of these initial behaviors in regard to establishing long-term newborn acceptance and bonding is unclear. We undertook this study to determine the role of the amniotic fluid on newborns and oral consumption of the placenta and membranes on the initial development of the maternal-newborn relationship. Thirty litters were studied, nine serving as controls in which the maternal and neonatal behaviors were simply observed for 36 h after delivery. Twenty-one litters underwent three different manipulations and served as the study groups. The first study group consisted of nine litters where the pups, placenta, and membranes were immediately separated from the mother at birth. Pups were washed three times and returned to the mother, and observation began. The second group of nine litters had the pups, placentas, and membranes immediately removed from the mother at birth. These pups were washed three times and returned to their mother. After 2.5 h of observations, pups were bathed in their amniotic fluid and the placenta and membranes returned to mother. In the third study group, three litters had the pups immediately separated from their mother, washed only once, and returned to their mother. The placenta and membranes were removed permanently in this case. In the control group, acceptance of pups was universal. In the first study group, all pups were rejected for the entire 36 h of observation. In the second study group, all pups were rejected until they were bathed in amniotic fluid and the placentas returned to the mother. At this point, the mother accepted all pups. In the third study group, all pups were accepted by the mother during the entire observation period. It appears that having the amniotic fluid on pups is an important signal for the mother to begin licking, accepting, and establishing maternal bonding with the newborn in canines. In the absence of amniotic fluid on the pups, rejection for the first 36 h was universally present.
母性行为，如舔舐和清洁新生幼崽，以及吞食胎盘和胎膜，是几乎所有哺乳动物的特征。它们是犬类中母性接纳和建立亲密关系的第一步。影响这些初始行为的因素尚不清楚。同样，这些初始行为对建立长期的新生幼崽接纳和亲密关系的影响也不清楚。我们进行这项研究以确定羊水对新生幼崽的作用，以及吞食胎盘和胎膜对母婴关系初始发展的影响。研究了30窝幼崽，其中9窝作为对照组，在分娩后仅对母性行为和新生幼崽行为进行36小时的观察。21窝幼崽进行了三种不同的处理，作为研究组。第一个研究组由9窝幼崽组成，幼崽、胎盘和胎膜在出生时立即与母亲分离。幼崽被清洗三次后放回母亲身边，然后开始观察。第二组9窝幼崽在出生时幼崽、胎盘和胎膜也立即从母亲身边移除。这些幼崽被清洗三次后放回母亲身边。观察2.5小时后，幼崽被浸泡在羊水中，胎盘和胎膜放回母亲身边。在第三个研究组中，3窝幼崽出生时立即与母亲分离，只清洗一次，然后放回母亲身边。在这种情况下，胎盘和胎膜被永久移除。在对照组中，母犬普遍接纳幼崽。在第一个研究组中，在整个36小时的观察期内，所有幼崽都被拒绝。在第二个研究组中，所有幼崽在浸泡在羊水中且胎盘放回母亲身边之前都被拒绝。此时，母犬接纳了所有幼崽。在第三个研究组中，在整个观察期内，所有幼崽都被母亲接纳。看来幼崽身上有羊水是母犬开始舔舐、接纳并与新生幼崽建立母性亲密关系的重要信号。如果幼崽身上没有羊水，在最初的36小时内普遍会被拒绝。
