Early weaning and separation from your mother could cause hyper­activity and anxiety later in life, a scientific study has suggested yesterday.

Baby mice separated from their mothers and forced to undergo early weaning were found to be hyperactive and anxious, US research published in the journal BMC Neuroscience showed.

The mice underwent maternal separation for four hours a day between two and five days after birth, and eight hours a day on days six to 16, in the study run by Yale University School of Medicine.

They were also weaned early on day 17 as part of the experiment.

Those mice exposed to this treatment were found to be “hyperactive and anxious” when compared with control animals.

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