The emotional reactivity increase at mid-pregnancy is attenuated in female rats handled during their infancy.

In rats, while pregnancy has been reported to increase emotional reactivity, postnatal handling, consisting in a short daily maternal separation during early life, has been shown to reduce it in several behavioural tests. In the present study, we investigated the potential effects of handling in pregnant rats confronted to various stressful situations. For that purpose, groups of DA/Han female rats were tested either in the elevated plus maze test, in the probe burying test or in a cat exposure test.