Predicting survival of infant pigtailed macaques at 30 days by the assessment of background, maternal, and infant variables

Information from background, maternal (M), and infant (I) measures was obtained from 61 pigtailed macaque M-I dyads. 16 variables (5 background, 3 M, and 8 I measures) were studied by a commonality analysis for each set of variables and by a hierarchical-stepwise regression for each variable. Each set of variables explained a significant percentage of the variation of I survival, with the M variables contributing over twice as much explained variation as the background or I variables did. Three background variables (M experience, place of birth, and I's birth-weight centile), 3 M variables (grooming efficiency, response to acute stress, and reunion time), and 4 I assessments (rooting, crawling, visual orienting, and placing) contributed significant information. Results indicate that prediction of I survival must be based on information about the caretaking dyad and its environment. (15 ref)