A Mother’s Love: How Maternal Instinct Might be Triggered by Texture

Sidney Padmanaban ’26 Figure 1 Ducklings will often follow the first animal to imprint on them, even if it isn’t a duck. Imprinting, when a young animal comes to recognize another being as an object of habitual trust, is instinctual and a very important part of relationships. As soon as babies are born, they begin to become imprinted by the people in their lives. Previously, … Continue reading A Mother’s Love: How Maternal Instinct Might be Triggered by Texture

Microglial Depletion Promotes Maternal Behavior in Nulliparous Rats

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 The period during and immediately following childbirth, known as the peripartum period, is marked by major changes in the mother’s hormone levels, immune function, and neurological activity. These changes include structural brain alterations with a significant impact on postpartum behaviors, such as maternal-infant bonding, that are essential for the well-being of the offspring. Many neuroimmune alterations emerging in late pregnancy remain unclear … Continue reading Microglial Depletion Promotes Maternal Behavior in Nulliparous Rats