PRENATAL PROTEIN-MALNUTRITION AND HOME ORIENTATION IN THE RAT

Home orienting behavior was studied during the first 11 days of life i n prenatally protein-malnourished and well-nourished rat pups, both gr oups having been reared by well-nourished mothers since birth. On all days of testing, mean weights were compromised in the prenatally malno urished pups relative to their well-nourished age controls (body weigh t deficit = 19-29%). Eye opening was also significantly delayed in the malnourished group. On the test of homing behavior, malnourished pups were significantly impaired in their ability to locate the nest on da ys 9 and 11. The effect was not related to activity levels of the pups , which were generally similar in the two nutritional groups. Thus, pr enatal malnutrition disturbs the development of the homing response in the early postnatal period.