Cardiovascular primordium of the rat embryo following in utero exposure to alcohol and caffeine.

The influence of alcohol and caffeine on cardiac embryogenesis was investigated in the rat. No disturbances were detected in the yolk sac circulatory system and allantois of embryos exposed to ethanol, but in several cases the cardiac tube was delayed in its development. Caffeine had no gross morphological effect on the developing cardiovascular system. However, cardiac morphogenesis was significantly impaired in embryos recovered from mothers treated with both ethanol and caffeine.