Intra-uterine nutrition and its effects on aggression.

Prenatal zinc deficiency and prenatal undernutrition were found to have adverse effects on the food consumption and weight gain of pregnant dams and their offspring. Pups whose dams suffered prenatal zinc deficiency (ZD) consumed less food and gained less weight than pups whose dams suffered prenatal undernutrition (PF). The PF pups consumed less food and gained less weight than pups whose dams were normally fed (AL). The ZD females at age 75 days were significantly more aggressive than the PF females, while the PF females were more aggressive than the AL females. At age 105 days, ZD females were significantly more aggressive than the PF and AL females. There were no differences in aggression between the PF and AL females at 105 days. Among the ZD, PF, and AL male offspring, there were no differences in aggression at either age level except that the 75 day old PF males were significantly less aggressive than the AL males. Thus prenatal malnutrition, especially zinc deficiency, seems to have differential effects on the aggressive tendencies of female and male offspring.