In utero alcohol exposure and developmental delay of response inhibition

Offspring of rats fed liquid alcohol diet during pregnancy exhibited age-related increased activity and deficits in passive avoidance learning and response perseveration which were not age-related. Alcohol-exposed offspring also elicited less maternal responsiveness from nontreated dams than did pair-fed controls. The results suggest that in utero alcohol exposure produces a developmental delay in ontogeny of response inhibition mechanisms underlying activity, but not passive avoidance learning or spontaneous alternation.