Buspirone before prenatal stress protects against adverse effects of stress on emotional and inflammatory pain-related behaviors in infant rats: Age and sex differences

► Prenatal stress adversely affects emotional and pain-related behaviors in infant rats. ► Effects of prenatal stress differ in males and females of middle and late infancy. ► Maternal buspirone before gestational stress alleviates stress effects in offspring. ► The descending serotonergic inhibitory system matures in 11-day-old males.