Pre-natal and post-natal effects of alcohol in the rat--I. Changes in body weight and exploratory activity

The effects of chronic alcohol administration during the pre- and/or post-natal period on body weight and on exploratory behaviour in the "open field' apparatus were investigated. Alcohol was administered in increasing concentrations in a milk diet to the dams and/or their offspring so that the mean daily intake exceeded 12 g/kg body wt; this corresponded to a mean blood-ethanol concentration of 3 mg/ml. There was no evidence of malnourishment in the offspring of the alcohol-treated dams nor was there any difference in body wt gain between the offspring treated with the alcohol diet and those receiving an isocaloric diet. An increase in the ambulation score of the offspring exposed to alcohol during the post-natal period was observed and can be attributed to the direct effect of ethanol. No change in the ambulation score was noted in the offspring that had been exposed to alcohol during the pre-natal period. There was no change in the rearing scores of any of the offspring that had been exposed to alcohol during the pre- or post-natal period.