Prenatal alcohol exposure: recent work on behavioral dysfunctions in pre-weanling rats.

This article reviews recent data collected in our laboratory examining the behavioral effects of prenatal alcohol exposure in pre-weanling rats. The behavioral alterations which are discussed include suckling dysfunctions, overactivity, and early learning deficits. Similar behavioral dysfunctions have also been reported in children exposed to alcohol during prenatal development. These similarities are discussed as well as possible insights that might be gained from animal models of fetal alcohol effects.