In rats, contact with pups at parturition establishes a form of maternal me
mory that enables female rats to respond rapidly to pups in the future. Tre
atment of pregnant female rats with the long-lasting mu opioid receptor ant
agonist, beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA), prior to parturition interfered wi
th the establishment of maternal memory. Similar treatment 3 hr postpartum
resulted in disrupted retention of maternal memory that appeared nonspecifi
c, with both drug- and vehicle-treated rats displaying a deficit. However,
infusion of the opioid antagonist 24 hr postpartum had no effect on the ret
ention of maternal memory tested 7 days later. These findings indicate that
the establishment of maternal memory is mediated by endogenous opioid acti
vity around the time of parturition.