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Neuroendocrinology and Adaptive Physiology of Maternal Care

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Neuroendocrine Regulation of Behavior

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 43))

Abstract

Parental care is critical for offspring survival in many species. In mammals, parental care is primarily provided through maternal care, due to obligate pregnancy and lactation constraints, although some species also show paternal and alloparental care. These behaviors are driven by specialized neural circuits that receive sensory, cortical, and hormonal input to generate a coordinated and timely change in behavior, and sustain that behavior through activation of reward pathways. Importantly, the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and lactation also act to coordinate a broad range of physiological changes to support the mother and enable her to adapt to the demands of these states. This chapter will review the neural pathways that regulate maternal behavior, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation, and how these two facets merge together to promote both young-directed maternal responses (including nursing and grooming) and young-related responses (including maternal aggression and other physiological adaptions to support the development of and caring for young). We conclude by examining how experimental animal work has translated into knowledge of human parenting, particularly in regards to maternal mental health issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Kristina O. Smiley, Sharon R. Ladyman, Papillon Gustafson & David R. Grattan

  2. Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand

    Sharon R. Ladyman & David R. Grattan

  3. Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Rosemary S. E. Brown

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  1. Kristina O. Smiley
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  2. Sharon R. Ladyman
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  3. Papillon Gustafson
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  4. David R. Grattan
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  5. Rosemary S. E. Brown
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Correspondence to Rosemary S. E. Brown .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, USA

    Lique M. Coolen

  2. Department of Anatomy, Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    David R. Grattan

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Smiley, K.O., Ladyman, S.R., Gustafson, P., Grattan, D.R., Brown, R.S.E. (2019). Neuroendocrinology and Adaptive Physiology of Maternal Care. In: Coolen, L., Grattan, D. (eds) Neuroendocrine Regulation of Behavior. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 43. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2019_122

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