There seems to be conclusive evidence in rats that
postnatal handling and maternal care affect the HPA and
have long-lasting effects of reducing reactivity to mild
stressors and a "reduction in fearfulness", as at least one paper
puts it.
I was just wondering if this was being looked at in
any way in humans? It seems logical that maternal handling
would be decreased in situations where the mother is
depressed, for example. Do these children express heightened
wariness/fear?
Thanks for any thoughts on the subject!
Laura
graduate student, Med Neuro
