Effects of beer, wine, whiskey, and ethanol on pregnant rats and their offspring

Pregnant rats were intubated twice daily throughout gestation with the equivalent of 3 gm/kg of alcohol in the form of either beer, wine, whiskey, or 95% ethanol. Control animals received vehicle. All animals were pair-fed to those receiving ethanol. Offspring were removed from their biological mothers immediately following birth and were nursed by nondrug-treated mothers. Animals in each of the four alcohol-treated groups weighed significantly less than the animals in the control group at birth and at 22 days of age and also performed significantly worse on a Rotarod at 17 days; differences among the four alcohol-treated groups were not significant for any of these measures. Results suggest that congeners present in these alcohol beverages do not potentiate the effects of alcohol on embryonic/fetal development in rats administered this alcohol dose.