Hypoxia ischemia affects ultrasonic vocalization in the neonatal rat

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy results in a spectrum of pathologies related to the degree of initial infarct and environmental factors, including maternal interactions. Infants actively influence their environment by crying; rat pups produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Our study observed that ischemic pups engage in less time producing USVs and make fewer USVs overall, with male ischemic pups experiencing reductions in more categories than females. Future studies should consider whether alterations in mother-pup interactions result from these reductions. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.