Chapter 8 - Maternal Stress Adaptations Peripartum: Mom's Innate Anxiety Determines Maternal Care and Aggression

Abstract

This chapter summarizes mechanisms underlying the neuroendocrine and emotional changes observed peripartum. It mainly focuses on the increased activity of the neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and prolactin during this period, and their involvement in the blunted stress responsiveness and anxiety. Moreover, brain OXT plays an important role in the regulation not only of maternal behavior, but more specifically also of maternal aggression. In a rat model for genetically-determined high and low levels of anxiety-related behavior, could be found a clear link between the innate level of anxiety and the intensity of maternal behavior including maternal aggressive behavior. Importantly, it is demonstrated that differences in local OXT release patterns, for example, within the central amygdala and the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus are responsible for the differing styles of maternal protective behavior. Moreover, this discussion data demonstrates that adverse chronic life experiences, such as chronic stress in pregnancy or even prenatal stress, will affect maternal adaptations in lactation.