Intrauterine growth retardation caused by dietary biotin and thiamine deficiency in the rat.

The effects on fetal development of maternal biotin deficiency, alone and in conjunction with thiamine deficiency, were investigated in rats. Fetuses from dams given biotin-deficient diet throughout gestation demonstrated only some characteristics of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) including abnormal liver weight and a higher brain/liver ratio. However, fetuses from dams given biotin-thiamine-deficient diet and daily pyrithiamine (a thiamine antagonist used to insure thiamine deficiency) injections demonstrated severe IUGR along all of the fetal parameters investigated. We conclude that biotin and thiamine deficiency during intrauterine growth of the fetus may be partially responsible for the development of IUGR, a frequent concomitant of fetal alcohol syndrome.