Effects of ethanol administered during pregnancy and lactation on the offspring survival, growth and exploratory behavior.

The survival (mortality rate), growth (body weight) and exploratory behavior (open field test) of the offspring of Wistar rats, treated with ethanol, were studied. Ethanol at a dose of 9 g/kg/day was applied as 6% aqueous solution (v/v). One group of rats received ethanol (E) during pregnancy and lactation (E + E), in another group E was substituted by water (W) during lactation (E + W) and a third group of rats received E only during lactation (W + E). The mortality rate in the offspring of the E + E and E + W groups of dams was significantly increased. The body growth of the offspring of the E + E group was significantly delayed as compared to controls. Inhibited exploratory activity, impaired habituation capacity and disturbed emotional balance were found in the 9-week old offspring of the E + W, W + E and E + E groups of dams respectively. It is suggested that pre- and/or postnatal ethanol received even at low concentrations with drinking water leads to long-lasting CNS disturbances characteristic of the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).