Developmental and behavioral effects of maternal alcohol exposure in rats.

Fostered rat offspring whose mothers had been administered 7.5% alcohol solution (4.85 g/kg/day) as drinking fluid during 0-17 days of gestation were compared with equivalent groups whose dams had given ad libitum and restricted volume of tap water in the following behavioral tests: reflex test, swimming behavior test, open-field test, radial-maze learning and two-way avoidance learning. The treatment with alcohol resulted in developmental delay in ear-flaps uncurling, placing reflex, swimming behavior, walking in addition to reduction in body weight at 1 and 7 days of age. The treated group also exhibited decreased open-field activity and deficit in the avoidance learning. The results show that maternal alcohol consumption produces developmental and behavioral deficits in offspring, which are comparable to the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in man.