Maternal separation as early-life stress: Mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders and inspiration for neonatal care
Yuan Zhang, Shu Wang, Mingyan Hei
Abstract
The establishment of positive early parent–infant relationships provide essential nourishment and social stimulation for newborns. During the early stages of postnatal brain development, events such as synaptogenesis, neuronal maturation and glial differentiation occur in a highly coordinated manner. Maternal separation, as an early-life stress introducer, can disrupt the formation of parent–child bonds and exert long-term adverse effects throughout life. When offspring are exposed to maternal separation, the body regulates the stress of maternal separation through multiple mechanisms, including neuroinflammatory responses, neuroendocrinology, and neuronal electrical activity. In adulthood, early maternal separation has long-term effects, such as the induction of neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. This review summarized the application of maternal separation models and the mechanisms of stress system response in neuropsychiatric disorders, serving as both a reminder and inspiration for approaches to improve neonatal care, “from bench to bedside”. • Maternal separation has a lasting negative impact on the central nervous system with various mechanisms. • There are various parent-partnered care models for the mechanical study of maternal separation. • Effects of maternal separation on early brain development should be payed special attention.