Basic animal research.

Recent research with animal models of the fetal alcohol syndrome has resulted in advances in the areas of prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, facial dysmorphology, immune system deficiencies, endocrine dysfunction, and central nervous system alterations, including behavior. The rat is the most common species used in these studies, although similar experimental changes have been produced in a limited number of studies in other species. The specific deleterious effects of ethanol on the fetus are dose-related and dependent on the stage of gestation, as with other fetotoxic agents. However, the precise timing and dose-effect curves have yet to be established for most types of ethanol-induced damage. Various exposure regimens have been employed, including inhalation of ethanol vapor and intraperitoneal injection, as well as oral exposure by gavage, diet, or drinking water. In the early postnatal period, following gestational exposure, altered function is most marked, with recovery in some measurements with postnatal maturation. The present literature clearly defines developmental damage from gestational exposure to ethanol as well as areas for additional research.