Growth patterns of rat body, brain, and cerebellum in fetal alcohol syndrome.

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were offered protein- and vitamin-enriched, nutritionally balanced, liquid ethanol diet, providing 35% of calories as ethanol, beginning on day 6 of gestation. Control animals were pair-fed identical liquid diet except that maltose-dextrins were substituted for ethanol. At birth the pups of both ethanol exposed and pair-fed mothers were surrogate-fostered by normal dams. Plasma concentrations of ethanol and thyroxine were determined in dams of experimental and control groups. Thyroxine concentrations were significantly reduced in ethanol-fed dams compared with pair-fed. Pups of both groups were killed at 0-1, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 postnatal days. The crown-rump, crown-tail lengths, and weights of body, brain, and cerebellum were significantly reduced in ethanol-exposed pups compared with controls at all time sequences studied.