The role of experience in suckling maintenance in albino rats.

Abstract
Nipple-attachment behavior in albino rats was disrupted by raising rat pups in isolation from their mother and siblings on the 3rd-5th day after birth. Nipple attachment was maintained in isolation-reared pups that received, on days 3 and 4 postnatally, either 6 or 12 opportunities to search for, locate and attach to the nipples of an anesthetized mother. Suckling remained severely disrupted on day 5 in pups whose experiences on days 3 and 4 were restricted to either nipple search alone or nipple attachment without previous search. The role of experience in suckling maintenance and the suckling system at birth were discussed.

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