The Mother-Infant Interaction as a Regulator of Infant Physiology and Behavior

Hofer, Myron A.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-4565-7_4

The Mother-Infant Interaction as a Regulator of Infant Physiology and Behavior

Myron A. Hofer³

Chapter

57 Accesses
26 Citations

Abstract

Parents and young are held together by some aspects of their interaction and tend to be in conflict over others. Resources are exchanged, shared, exploited, and given with apparent pleasure by one to the other. In addition, there is mounting evidence that this symbiosis involves an unexpected modification of the homeostatic organization of the infant, so that the regulation of the infant’s mileu intérieur is partially delegated to processes within the relationship with its mother. In this way, the individual homeostatic organization of the infant is partially subordinated to the organization of the symbiosis during early postnatal development. We are familiar with such a state of affairs during the intrauterine period of mammals in the form of the placental circulation, but we do not ordinarily think of the parent-young interaction serving such purposes.

Keywords

Rest Heart Rate
Psychosomatic Medicine
Behavioral Responsiveness
Maternal Separation
Cardiac Rate

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter: USD 29.95; Price excludes VAT (USA)

eBook: USD 89.00; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Softcover Book: USD 119.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

Butler, S. R., Suskind, M. R., & Schanberg, S. M. Maternal behavior as a regulator of polyamine biosynthesis in brain and heart of the developing rat pup. Science, 1968, 199, 445–447.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Evoniuk, G. E., Kuhn, C. M., & Schanberg, S. M. The effect of tactile stimulation on serum growth hormone and tissue ornithine decarboxylase in rat pups. Communications in Psychopharmacology, 1979, 5, 363–370.
Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. Physiological responses of infant rats to separation from their mothers. Science, 1970, 765, 871–873.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. Regulation of cardiac rate by nutritional factor in young rats. Science, 1971, 172, 1039–1041.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. The effects of brief maternal separations on behavior and heart rate of two week old rat pups. Physiology and Behavior, 1973, 10, 423–427.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. The role of nutrition in the physiological and behavioral effects of early maternal separation in infant rats. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1973, 35, 350–359. (b)
PubMed Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. Maternal separaton effects infant rats’ behavior. Behavioral Biology, 1973, 9, 629–633.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. Studies on how early maternal separation produces behavioral change in young rats. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1975, 37, 245–264. (a)
PubMed Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. Survival and recovery of physiologic functions after early maternal separation in rats. Physiology and Behavior, 1975, 15, 475–480. (b)
PubMed Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. The organization of sleep and wakefulness after maternal separation in young rats. Developmental Psychobiology, 1976, 9, 189–206.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A. Effects of reserpine and amphetamine on the development of hyperactivity in maternally deprived rat pups. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1980, 42, 513–520.
PubMed Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A., & Reiser, M. F. The development of cardiac rate regulation in preweanling rats. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1969, 31, 372–388.
PubMed Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A., & Shair, H. Ultrasonic vocalization during social interaction and isolation in 2 week old rats. Developmental Psychobiology, 1978, 11, 495–504.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A., & Shair, H. Sensory processes in the control of isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalization by 2 week old rats. Journal of Comparative Physiology and Psychology, 1980, 94, 271–279.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A., & Shair, H. Control of sleep wake states in the infant rat by features of the mother-infant relationship. Developmental Psychobiology, 1982, 15, 229–243.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A., & Weiner, H. The development and mechanisms of cardiorespiratory responses to maternal deprivation in rat pups. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1971, 33, 353–362.
PubMed Google Scholar
Hofer, M. A., & Weiner, H. Physiological mechanisms for cardiac control by nutritional intake after early maternal separation in the young rat. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1975, 37, 8–24.
PubMed Google Scholar
Kuhn, G. M., Butler, S. R., & Schanberg, S. M. Selective depression of serum growth hormone during maternal deprivation in rat pups. Science, 1978, 201, 1034–1036.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar
Sharma, K. N., & Nasset, E. S. Electrical activity in mesenteric nerves after perfusion of gut lumen. American Journal of Physiology, 1962, 202, 725–730.
PubMed Google Scholar
Shear, W. K., Brunelli, S. A., & Hofer, M. A. The effects of maternal deprivation and of refeeding on the blood pressure of infant rats. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1983, 45, 3–9.
PubMed Google Scholar
Stone, E., Bonnet, K., & Hofer, M. A. Survival and development of maternally deprived rats: Role of body temperature. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1976, 38, 242–249.
PubMed Google Scholar
Zweifach, B. W., Shorr, E., & Black, M. M. The influence of the adrenal cortex on behavior of terminal vascular bed. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1953, 56, 626–633.
PubMed CrossRef Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, Bronx, New York, 10467, USA
Myron A. Hofer

Authors

Myron A. Hofer
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Leonard A. Rosenblum
The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Howard Moltz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hofer, M.A. (1983). The Mother-Infant Interaction as a Regulator of Infant Physiology and Behavior. In: Rosenblum, L.A., Moltz, H. (eds) Symbiosis in Parent-Offspring Interactions. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4565-7_4

Download citation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4565-7_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-4567-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-4565-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive