No description available.

After decades of decrease, maternal mortality rates have shown a slight increase in Europe. Immigrants, especially Africans, have shown to be at higher risk than native women. This could not be explained solely by well-known obstetric and socio-economic risk factors. The aim of this thesis was to study incidence, classification and quality of care of maternal deaths in Sweden, with focus on the foreign-born population. The study population was identified through linkage of the Cause of Death Register, Medical Birth Register, and National Patient Register, and medical records obtained from hospitals. Data from registers, death certificates, and medical records were reviewed. Suboptimal care was studied by structured implicit review of medical records. Differences between foreign- and Swedish-born women were analysed by relative risks, Chi2- and Fisher’s exact test. Underreporting of maternal mortality was shown to be substantial: as compared to the official statistics, 64% more maternal deaths were identified. Women born in low-income countries were identified as being at highest risk of dying during reproductive age in Sweden. The relative risk of dying from diseases related to pregnancy was 6.6 (95% confidence interval 2.6–16.5) for women born in low-income countries, as compared to Swedish-born women. Major and minor suboptimal factors related to care-seeking, accessibility, and quality of care were found to be associated with a majority of maternal deaths and significantly more often to foreign-born women. Suboptimal factors identified included non-compliance, communication barriers, and inadequate care. The rate of suicides during pregnancy or within one year after delivery did not change during the last three decades, and was higher for foreign-born women. A majority of women who committed suicide had been under psychiatric care, but such documentation at antenatal care was inconsistent, and planning for follow-up postpartum was generally lacking. The conclusion of this thesis is that foreign-born women are a high-risk group for maternal death and morbidity that calls for clinical awareness with respect to their somatic and psychiatric history, care-seeking behaviour, and communication barriers. Cross-disciplinary care is necessary, both in obstetric emergencies and in cases of maternal psychiatric illness, to avert maternal death and suicide.

A restrição do crescimento intrauterino (RCIU) está associada com preferências alimentares alteradas, assim como com um aumento do risco de obesidade na vida adulta. Enquanto os desfechos metabólicos adversos têm sido de certa forma bem caracterizados nesta condição, seus déficits neurocomportamentais e alterações em áreas específicas do sistema nervoso têm recebido significativamente menos atenção. Além disso, o papel do cuidado materno no estabelecimento destes desfechos também deve ser avaliado. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos da RCIU sobre a flexibilidade cognitiva dos animais na vida adulta, explorando o possível envolvimento do cuidado materno e da resposta neuroquímica à recompensa – através da medida do conteúdo de tirosina hidroxilase (TH) no córtex orbitofrontal (OFC) e núcleo accumbens ( NAcc ) – sobre este desfecho. Materiais e Métodos: A partir do dia 10 de gestação e durante toda a lactação, ratas Sprague-Dawley receberam uma dieta ad libitum (Contr), ou uma dieta restrita a 50% do consumo médio das ratas do grupo Contr (FR). No dia do nascimento, foi realizada a adoção cruzada, gerando os grupos Contr/Contr e FR/Contr (gestação/lactação). Do dia 2 ao dia 7 pós-parto, o cuidado materno foi registrado em cinco sessões diárias de 72 minutos cada. A flexibilidade cognitiva foi medida nos ratos na idade adulta utilizando o Attentional Set- Shifting Task (ASST) que utiliza um pellet de alimento doce como recompensa. Os animais também foram submetidos a jejum de 4 horas e em seguida expostos ao alimento doce durante 1 hora para verificar o consumo agudo de alimento palatável. O conteúdo de TH no córtex orbitofrontal e núcleo accumbens foi medido em jejum ou em resposta à ingestão de alimentos palatáveis. Resultados: Ratas FR mostraram menos comportamentos de lamber os filhotes que fêmeas do grupo Contr (p<0,01) sem diferença nos escores das posturas de amamentação e no tempo permanecido em contato com os filhotes. Filhotes de ratas FR apresentaram peso reduzido ao nascer (p<0,01). Aos 90 dias de idade, machos do grupo FR/Contr apresentaram maior consumo de alimento doce no teste de exposição aguda (p=0,04), enquanto que as fêmeas não diferiram na quantidade consumida (p=0,37). Quando comparadas às controles, fêmeas RCIU necessitaram menos trials para alcançar o critério na etapa de Reversão 2 do ASST (p=0,04), e apresentaram um aumento de TH no OFC em resposta à ingestão de alimentos doces (p=0,04). Não foram observadas diferenças para o sexo masculino em relação à performance no ASST ou nos níveis de TH no OFC. No NAcc , houve um aumento de TH no estado de jejum tanto nos machos RCIU (p=0,03) quanto nas fêmeas RCIU (p=0,02). Discussão: O protocolo utilizado foi eficiente em induzir RCIU nos filhotes. Caracterizar os cuidado materno em diferentes protocolos é crucial para entender melhor as relações entre ambientes precoces adversos e seus coincidentes desfechos adversos na vida adulta. A melhora no desempenho do ASST e concomitante aumento de TH no OFC após consumo de doce sugere que as pistas relacionadas aos alimentos palatáveis sejam mais fortes para as fêmeas expostas à RCIU. Além disso, as alterações encontradas no Nacc em ambos os sexos sugere que a RCIU induz modificações na resposta central para as pistas de alimentos palatáveis e no consumo, afetando a liberação de dopamina em algumas estruturas do circuito encefálico de recompensa. / Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with altered food preferences as well as increased risk for obesity in adult life. However, while the adverse metabolic outcomes have been better characterized in this condition, the neurobehavioral disabilities and particular abnormalities in specific areas of the brain have received less attention. Moreover, the role of maternal care in the stablishment of these outcomes should be evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of IUGR on the cognitive flexibility of adult animals, exploring the putative involvement of maternal care and the neurochemical response to reward – through the measurement of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) content in the orbitofrontal (OF) cortex and nucleus accumbens (nacc) - on this behavioral outcome. Materials and methods: From day 10 of gestation and through lactation, Sprague-Dawley rats received either an ad libitum (AdLib), or a 50% food restricted (FR) diet. At birth, pups were cross-fostered, generating AdLib/AdLib and FR/AdLib groups (pregnancy/lactation). From day 2 to 7 postpartum maternal care was recorded in a five daily sessions. Cognitive flexibility was measured using the Attentional Set-Shifting Task (ASST) with a sweet pellet as a reward. Animals were also submitted to 4 hours of fasting and then exposed to a sweet food for 1 hour to verify the palatable food consumption. TH content in the OF cortex and Nacc was measured at baseline or in response to palatable food intake. Results: Dams of FR group showed less care toward her pups. More precisely, these FR dams showed less licking/grooming than AdLib dams (p<0.01), without difference in the nursing postures and time spent out of the nest. Pups of FR dams had reduced birth weight (p<0.01). At 90 days of age, FR/AdLib males showed increased intake of sweet food in the acute exposure (p=0.04), while females did not differ in the amount consumed (p=0.37). When compared to Controls, IUGR females needed fewer trials to reach criterion in the ASST(p=0.04) and had an increase in TH in response to sweet food intake in the OFC (p=0.04), but not at baseline. No differences were seen in males (p=0.51). In the nacc, there was an increase in TH at baseline in IUGR males (p=0.03) and females (p=0.02). Discussion: The protocol used was efficient in inducing IUGR in the pups. To characterize maternal care in different protocols is crucial to better understand the relationships between early adverse environment and their coincident adverse outcomes in adult life. The improvement in performance of FR females in ASST and concomitant increase in OFC TH in respone to sweet food consumption suggests that palatable food cues are stronger for intrauterine restricted females. Besides, alterations found in the Nacc in both sexes suggest that IUGR induces modifications in the central response to palatable food cues and its intake, affecting dopamine release in select structures of the brain reward system.

A restrição do crescimento intrauterino (RCIU) está associada com preferências alimentares alteradas, assim como com um aumento do risco de obesidade na vida adulta. Enquanto os desfechos metabólicos adversos têm sido de certa forma bem caracterizados nesta condição, seus déficits neurocomportamentais e alterações em áreas específicas do sistema nervoso têm recebido significativamente menos atenção. Além disso, o papel do cuidado materno no estabelecimento destes desfechos também deve ser avaliado. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos da RCIU sobre a flexibilidade cognitiva dos animais na vida adulta, explorando o possível envolvimento do cuidado materno e da resposta neuroquímica à recompensa – através da medida do conteúdo de tirosina hidroxilase (TH) no córtex orbitofrontal (OFC) e núcleo accumbens ( NAcc ) – sobre este desfecho. Materiais e Métodos: A partir do dia 10 de gestação e durante toda a lactação, ratas Sprague-Dawley receberam uma dieta ad libitum (Contr), ou uma dieta restrita a 50% do consumo médio das ratas do grupo Contr (FR). No dia do nascimento, foi realizada a adoção cruzada, gerando os grupos Contr/Contr e FR/Contr (gestação/lactação). Do dia 2 ao dia 7 pós-parto, o cuidado materno foi registrado em cinco sessões diárias de 72 minutos cada. A flexibilidade cognitiva foi medida nos ratos na idade adulta utilizando o Attentional Set- Shifting Task (ASST) que utiliza um pellet de alimento doce como recompensa. Os animais também foram submetidos a jejum de 4 horas e em seguida expostos ao alimento doce durante 1 hora para verificar o consumo agudo de alimento palatável. O conteúdo de TH no córtex orbitofrontal e núcleo accumbens foi medido em jejum ou em resposta à ingestão de alimentos palatáveis. Resultados: Ratas FR mostraram menos comportamentos de lamber os filhotes que fêmeas do grupo Contr (p<0,01) sem diferença nos escores das posturas de amamentação e no tempo permanecido em contato com os filhotes. Filhotes de ratas FR apresentaram peso reduzido ao nascer (p<0,01). Aos 90 dias de idade, machos do grupo FR/Contr apresentaram maior consumo de alimento doce no teste de exposição aguda (p=0,04), enquanto que as fêmeas não diferiram na quantidade consumida (p=0,37). Quando comparadas às controles, fêmeas RCIU necessitaram menos trials para alcançar o critério na etapa de Reversão 2 do ASST (p=0,04), e apresentaram um aumento de TH no OFC em resposta à ingestão de alimentos doces (p=0,04). Não foram observadas diferenças para o sexo masculino em relação à performance no ASST ou nos níveis de TH no OFC. No NAcc , houve um aumento de TH no estado de jejum tanto nos machos RCIU (p=0,03) quanto nas fêmeas RCIU (p=0,02). Discussão: O protocolo utilizado foi eficiente em induzir RCIU nos filhotes. Caracterizar os cuidado materno em diferentes protocolos é crucial para entender melhor as relações entre ambientes precoces adversos e seus coincidentes desfechos adversos na vida adulta. A melhora no desempenho do ASST e concomitante aumento de TH no OFC após consumo de doce sugere que as pistas relacionadas aos alimentos palatáveis sejam mais fortes para as fêmeas expostas à RCIU. Além disso, as alterações encontradas no Nacc em ambos os sexos sugere que a RCIU induz modificações na resposta central para as pistas de alimentos palatáveis e no consumo, afetando a liberação de dopamina em algumas estruturas do circuito encefálico de recompensa. / Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with altered food preferences as well as increased risk for obesity in adult life. However, while the adverse metabolic outcomes have been better characterized in this condition, the neurobehavioral disabilities and particular abnormalities in specific areas of the brain have received less attention. Moreover, the role of maternal care in the stablishment of these outcomes should be evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of IUGR on the cognitive flexibility of adult animals, exploring the putative involvement of maternal care and the neurochemical response to reward – through the measurement of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) content in the orbitofrontal (OF) cortex and nucleus accumbens (nacc) - on this behavioral outcome. Materials and methods: From day 10 of gestation and through lactation, Sprague-Dawley rats received either an ad libitum (AdLib), or a 50% food restricted (FR) diet. At birth, pups were cross-fostered, generating AdLib/AdLib and FR/AdLib groups (pregnancy/lactation). From day 2 to 7 postpartum maternal care was recorded in a five daily sessions. Cognitive flexibility was measured using the Attentional Set-Shifting Task (ASST) with a sweet pellet as a reward. Animals were also submitted to 4 hours of fasting and then exposed to a sweet food for 1 hour to verify the palatable food consumption. TH content in the OF cortex and Nacc was measured at baseline or in response to palatable food intake. Results: Dams of FR group showed less care toward her pups. More precisely, these FR dams showed less licking/grooming than AdLib dams (p<0.01), without difference in the nursing postures and time spent out of the nest. Pups of FR dams had reduced birth weight (p<0.01). At 90 days of age, FR/AdLib males showed increased intake of sweet food in the acute exposure (p=0.04), while females did not differ in the amount consumed (p=0.37). When compared to Controls, IUGR females needed fewer trials to reach criterion in the ASST(p=0.04) and had an increase in TH in response to sweet food intake in the OFC (p=0.04), but not at baseline. No differences were seen in males (p=0.51). In the nacc, there was an increase in TH at baseline in IUGR males (p=0.03) and females (p=0.02). Discussion: The protocol used was efficient in inducing IUGR in the pups. To characterize maternal care in different protocols is crucial to better understand the relationships between early adverse environment and their coincident adverse outcomes in adult life. The improvement in performance of FR females in ASST and concomitant increase in OFC TH in respone to sweet food consumption suggests that palatable food cues are stronger for intrauterine restricted females. Besides, alterations found in the Nacc in both sexes suggest that IUGR induces modifications in the central response to palatable food cues and its intake, affecting dopamine release in select structures of the brain reward system.

I examined parental behaviour of three vole species, the brandt{\crq}s vole (Microtus brandti), the common vole (M. arvalis) and the levant vole (M. guentheri) in laboratory conditions. Monogamous and highly social Brandt{\crq}s voles displayed high levels of parental and paternal care. However, mostly promiscuous and solitary common voles also exhibited an intensive parental care. In contrast, polygynous and social levant voles displayed very low levels of parental care. Males of both latter species engaged in parental activities but spent less time in contact with pups then females. These findings suggest that intensive parental care may be connected rather with the high growth rate a slower postnatal development of the species than with social or reproductive system.

A restrição do crescimento intrauterino (RCIU) está associada com preferências alimentares alteradas, assim como com um aumento do risco de obesidade na vida adulta. Enquanto os desfechos metabólicos adversos têm sido de certa forma bem caracterizados nesta condição, seus déficits neurocomportamentais e alterações em áreas específicas do sistema nervoso têm recebido significativamente menos atenção. Além disso, o papel do cuidado materno no estabelecimento destes desfechos também deve ser avaliado. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos da RCIU sobre a flexibilidade cognitiva dos animais na vida adulta, explorando o possível envolvimento do cuidado materno e da resposta neuroquímica à recompensa – através da medida do conteúdo de tirosina hidroxilase (TH) no córtex orbitofrontal (OFC) e núcleo accumbens ( NAcc ) – sobre este desfecho. Materiais e Métodos: A partir do dia 10 de gestação e durante toda a lactação, ratas Sprague-Dawley receberam uma dieta ad libitum (Contr), ou uma dieta restrita a 50% do consumo médio das ratas do grupo Contr (FR). No dia do nascimento, foi realizada a adoção cruzada, gerando os grupos Contr/Contr e FR/Contr (gestação/lactação). Do dia 2 ao dia 7 pós-parto, o cuidado materno foi registrado em cinco sessões diárias de 72 minutos cada. A flexibilidade cognitiva foi medida nos ratos na idade adulta utilizando o Attentional Set- Shifting Task (ASST) que utiliza um pellet de alimento doce como recompensa. Os animais também foram submetidos a jejum de 4 horas e em seguida expostos ao alimento doce durante 1 hora para verificar o consumo agudo de alimento palatável. O conteúdo de TH no córtex orbitofrontal e núcleo accumbens foi medido em jejum ou em resposta à ingestão de alimentos palatáveis. Resultados: Ratas FR mostraram menos comportamentos de lamber os filhotes que fêmeas do grupo Contr (p<0,01) sem diferença nos escores das posturas de amamentação e no tempo permanecido em contato com os filhotes. Filhotes de ratas FR apresentaram peso reduzido ao nascer (p<0,01). Aos 90 dias de idade, machos do grupo FR/Contr apresentaram maior consumo de alimento doce no teste de exposição aguda (p=0,04), enquanto que as fêmeas não diferiram na quantidade consumida (p=0,37). Quando comparadas às controles, fêmeas RCIU necessitaram menos trials para alcançar o critério na etapa de Reversão 2 do ASST (p=0,04), e apresentaram um aumento de TH no OFC em resposta à ingestão de alimentos doces (p=0,04). Não foram observadas diferenças para o sexo masculino em relação à performance no ASST ou nos níveis de TH no OFC. No NAcc , houve um aumento de TH no estado de jejum tanto nos machos RCIU (p=0,03) quanto nas fêmeas RCIU (p=0,02). Discussão: O protocolo utilizado foi eficiente em induzir RCIU nos filhotes. Caracterizar os cuidado materno em diferentes protocolos é crucial para entender melhor as relações entre ambientes precoces adversos e seus coincidentes desfechos adversos na vida adulta. A melhora no desempenho do ASST e concomitante aumento de TH no OFC após consumo de doce sugere que as pistas relacionadas aos alimentos palatáveis sejam mais fortes para as fêmeas expostas à RCIU. Além disso, as alterações encontradas no Nacc em ambos os sexos sugere que a RCIU induz modificações na resposta central para as pistas de alimentos palatáveis e no consumo, afetando a liberação de dopamina em algumas estruturas do circuito encefálico de recompensa. / Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with altered food preferences as well as increased risk for obesity in adult life. However, while the adverse metabolic outcomes have been better characterized in this condition, the neurobehavioral disabilities and particular abnormalities in specific areas of the brain have received less attention. Moreover, the role of maternal care in the stablishment of these outcomes should be evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of IUGR on the cognitive flexibility of adult animals, exploring the putative involvement of maternal care and the neurochemical response to reward – through the measurement of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) content in the orbitofrontal (OF) cortex and nucleus accumbens (nacc) - on this behavioral outcome. Materials and methods: From day 10 of gestation and through lactation, Sprague-Dawley rats received either an ad libitum (AdLib), or a 50% food restricted (FR) diet. At birth, pups were cross-fostered, generating AdLib/AdLib and FR/AdLib groups (pregnancy/lactation). From day 2 to 7 postpartum maternal care was recorded in a five daily sessions. Cognitive flexibility was measured using the Attentional Set-Shifting Task (ASST) with a sweet pellet as a reward. Animals were also submitted to 4 hours of fasting and then exposed to a sweet food for 1 hour to verify the palatable food consumption. TH content in the OF cortex and Nacc was measured at baseline or in response to palatable food intake. Results: Dams of FR group showed less care toward her pups. More precisely, these FR dams showed less licking/grooming than AdLib dams (p<0.01), without difference in the nursing postures and time spent out of the nest. Pups of FR dams had reduced birth weight (p<0.01). At 90 days of age, FR/AdLib males showed increased intake of sweet food in the acute exposure (p=0.04), while females did not differ in the amount consumed (p=0.37). When compared to Controls, IUGR females needed fewer trials to reach criterion in the ASST(p=0.04) and had an increase in TH in response to sweet food intake in the OFC (p=0.04), but not at baseline. No differences were seen in males (p=0.51). In the nacc, there was an increase in TH at baseline in IUGR males (p=0.03) and females (p=0.02). Discussion: The protocol used was efficient in inducing IUGR in the pups. To characterize maternal care in different protocols is crucial to better understand the relationships between early adverse environment and their coincident adverse outcomes in adult life. The improvement in performance of FR females in ASST and concomitant increase in OFC TH in respone to sweet food consumption suggests that palatable food cues are stronger for intrauterine restricted females. Besides, alterations found in the Nacc in both sexes suggest that IUGR induces modifications in the central response to palatable food cues and its intake, affecting dopamine release in select structures of the brain reward system.

La période périnatale est une période sensible pendant laquelle la neurophysiologie et neurocircuiterie à l’origine de nombreux comportements, notamment sexuels, se mettent en place. La gestation et la lactation sont également des périodes critiques pour les femelles qui subissent de grands remaniements physiologiques, permettant la mise en place des comportements maternels nécessaires à la survie de la descendance. Les modifications ayant lieu pendant la gestation et la lactation vont être sensibles à de nombreux facteurs, comme le stress ou l’environnement chimique, dont les perturbateurs endocriniens. L’objectif de ma thèse a été de caractériser les conséquences d’une exposition périnatale lors de la gestation et la lactation au glyphosate, herbicide très largement utilisé à travers le monde. L’exposition maternelle pendant la gestation et la lactation à une faible dose (5mg/kg pc/j soit 1/10ème de la NOAEL) a permis de mettre en évidence pour la première fois une altération des comportements maternels, de la neurogénèse hippocampale et du gyrus cingulaire, et de la plasticité synaptique par la molécule active seule mais également en formulation. Cette exposition induit également une dysbiose intestinale chez les mères. Chez la descendance, nous avons mis en évidence une hypoactivité induite chez le mâle suite au traitement de la mère par le glyphosate seul. Dans une moindre mesure, nous avons également montré une altération des comportements sexuels et de préférence olfactive des mâles exposés au glyphosate. Aucune altération de la neuroplasticité hippocampale des mâles n’a pu être observée dans nos conditions expérimentales. Chez la descendance femelle, les comportements sexuels et locomoteurs, ainsi que la neuroplasticité ne sont pas modifiés par l’exposition maternelle. L’ensemble des résultats obtenus nous a permis de mettre en évidence pour la première fois une vulnérabilité de la neurophysiologie, des comportements maternels et du microbiome suite à l’exposition à de faibles doses de glyphosate seul ou en formulation. De manière intéressante, seules les mères et la descendance mâle sont impactées au niveau comportemental. Nos résultats ont également mis en évidence pour la première fois une absence d’effets sur le comportement sexuel chez la descendance femelle. Enfin nos travaux sont les premiers à montrer des effets différentiels du glyphosate seul et de la formulation chez les mammifères. / Perinatal period is sensitive for offspring as neurophysiology and circuitry underlying behaviors take place. This period includes formation of the sexual behavior circuitry. Perinatal period is also essential for pregnant or lactating females. Indeed, females undergo major physiological changes involved in maternal behaviors. Perinatal modifications are altered by several parameters like stress or chemicals, including endocrine disruptors. The aim of my thesis was to characterize the outcomes of a perinatal exposure to glyphosate, a widely use herbicide across the world. Maternal exposure during pregnancy and lactation to a low dose of glyphosate (5mg/kg bw/d corresponding to 1/10th of the NOAEL) highlighted that maternal behavior, hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity were altered by glyphosate alone and in formulation. Maternal exposure also induced gut dysbiosis on the dams. We showed that glyphosate alone induced hypoactivity on males offspring. To a lesser extent, males sexual behavior and olfactory preference were altered after glyphosate exposure. There was no effect on hippocampal plasticity on males. Sexual behavior, locomotor activity and neuroplasticity were not impacted in female offspring after maternal exposure. Together, these results highlight for the first time effects on neurophysiology, maternal behaviors and maternal gut microbiota after low doses exposure of glyphosate alone or in formulation. Interestingly, only males offspring had behavioral outcomes. Our study was the first to investigated sexual behavior of female offspring and showed no effect of glyphosate on this parameter. Finally, our work is the first that showed differential effect between active compound and formulation in mammals.

Maternal depression during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the developing child. Numerous studies have focused on postpartum depression and the influences on infant outcomes; however, there are limited data on pregnancy-related depression. The problem addressed in this study was the inadequacy and insufficiency of depression screening during the pregnancy period and access to quality-related health services for women. The purpose of this quantitative retrospective study was to test social cognitive theory on low birth weight and prenatal care adherence to pregnancy-related depression in women residing in Colorado. This research measured an association between pregnancy-related depression and both low birth weight prevalence and prenatal care adherence. Secondary analysis of archived data included data from Colorado vital statistics and the 2016 Colorado Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Data were analyzed using Chi-square analysis and multiple logistic regression. The findings showed that pregnancy-related depression was statistically significant of very low birth weight. I reported a summary of findings on p. 68. Biopsychosocial variables were significant to pregnancy-related depression. Pregnancy-related depression was significant in prenatal and postpartum depression. The implications of these findings for social change include the potential to support improved depression screening strategies during pregnancy that may contribute to transformation within the community by promoting more efficient and accessible healthcare for women.

Le développement comportemental de l’individu est particulièrement sensible aux influences sociales précoces. La mère, en tant que partenaire privilégié des jeunes dès la naissance, joue un rôle primordial dans leur survie et leur développement. Chez l’oiseau précoce, s’il est bien établi que le comportement maternel varie en fonction des caractéristiques personnelles de la mère, en revanche le rôle des jeunes dans ces variations et les conséquences sur leur développement restent encore méconnus. Chez la caille japonaise (Coturnix coturnix japonica), nous nous sommes, dans un premier temps, intéressés à l’influence d’un lien de parenté entre la mère et tous ses cailleteaux. Nous avons montré que ce facteur n’induisait pas de variation de son comportement maternel, permettant de poser l’hypothèse d’une faible sélectivité parentale chez cette espèce. Nous avons montré qu’en revanche un changement de comportement des cailleteaux suite à une modification de l’environnement prénatale pouvait améliorer le comportement maternel en diminuant l’agressivité maternelle. Nous avons ensuite démontré qu’un nombre de cailleteaux plus important induisait une amélioration des premières interactions mais amenait un rejet émancipatoire plus précoce de la part de la mère. Enfin nous avons exploré l’influence de la composition sexuée de la fratrie. Il apparait que les mères s’investissaient plus auprès de leurs petits mâles mais que cela était dépendant du sexe des autres membres de la fratrie. L’ensemble de nos travaux montre que les variations du comportement maternel ont une influence certaine sur le développement comportemental des jeunes dont le sexe détermine leur sensibilité aux différents traits maternels. / The behavioural development of the individual is particularly sensitive to early social influences. The mother, as a privileged partner of the young from the birth, plays a primordial role in their survival and their development. In the precocial bird, although it is well established that maternal behavior varies according to the mother's personal characteristics, the role of the young in these variations and the consequences on their development remain unknown. In the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), we were initially interested in the influence of a relatedness between the mother and all her chicks. We showed that this factor did not induce any variation in its maternal behaviour, allowing us to place the hypothese of a weak parental selectivity in this species. We showed that, on the other hand, a change in the chicks’ behaviour following a modification of the prenatal environment improved the maternal behaviour, decreasing maternal aggressivity. We then demonstrated that a greater number of chicks induced an improvement of the first interactions but induced an emancipatory rejection earlier by the mother. Finally, we explored the influence of the sexual brood composition. It appears that mothers were more involved in their male chicks but that it was dependent on the sex of the other members of the brood. All of our work shows that these variations in maternal behaviour have a sure influence on the behavioural development of chicks whose sex determines their sensitivity to different maternal traits.

No description available.