We discuss these results in terms of mother-young interactions, timing of interactions and relationships between bonding and subsequent social competences.
However, as suggested by our results, among others [38], [50], [59], the history of mother-young interactions can influence the set of relationships with peers.
The neonatal period in humans and in most mammals is characterized by intense mother-young interactions favoring pair bonding and the adaptation of neonates to their new environment.
More than early maternal separation, disturbances in the timing of mother-young interactions may explain the deleterious effects it has on attachment.
In the present study, our neonatal procedure involved early handling associated with loss of contact with the mother and, as a consequence, disturbances in the time course of neonatal development, including the first mother-young interactions and pair bonding.
The early post-birth period of humans and of most mammals is characterized by intense mother-young interactions [1] [2] that help neonates adapt to their novel postnatal environment [3] [8] and that appear to favor mother-infant bonding [9] [10].
In addition, the non-respect of the timing of the first mother-young interactions and suckling may affect mutual adjustment of emotional and attentive states between neonates and their mothers (referred as attunement) that contribute to subsequent attachment security [100], [101].
Pheromones are involved in the reproductive and non-reproductive (migration, parent-young interactions, schooling and related social behaviours) behaviours of fish (reviewed in [ 1, 2]).
On the videos used, the pups were not marked individually and no physical examination of the pups had been carried out, in order to avoid any possible impact of handling on the pups or on mother-young interactions.
"Such approaches do not appear to incite a long-term desire among the young for interaction with elders," they regretfully conclude, "and contact can backfire if older adults are particularly impaired".
