Effect of intraamniotic vitamin A on palatal closure of fetal rats.

On day 15 of gestation, intraamniotic vitamin A in a dose of 150 IU was administered to the fetal rats to examine its effect on palatal closure. Fetuses subjected to only amniocentesis acted as control for the study. The fetuses were recovered on day 19, 20 and 21, respectively. Vitamin A resulted in poor development of palatine shelves. There was no clear demarcation of the base and the free margins of the shelves were either rounded or blunted with poor attempt towards closure. In the vitamin A group, the incidence of cleft palate were similar in all three days while there was a gradual decline with increasing gestational age in the amniocentesis group. The results suggest that unlike amniocentesis, in vitamin A treated fetuses, there was no attempt towards a delayed closure of the palate.