One Day Away from Mum has Lifelong Consequences on Brain and Behaviour.

This chapter presents a brief overview of attachment theory and discusses the importance of the neonatal period in shaping an individual's physiological and behavioural responses to stress later in life, with a focus on the role of the parent-infant relationship, particularly in rodents. In rodents, the role of maternal behaviours goes far beyond nutrition, thermoregulation and excretion, acting as hidden regulators of the pup's physiology and development. In this review, we will discuss the inhibitory role of specific maternal behaviours on the ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) stress response.