Teratogenic effect of maternal alcohol consumption on the mouse fetus. a histological study

During pregnancy C3H mice were solely kept on a 10 or 20% liquid supply. They had free access to solids. All animals, including a group of controls, were chloroformed on the 19th day of pregnancy and the fetuses were examined for growth retardation, intrauterine death and microscopic malformations. Among the animals given alcohol, we found a significantly raised incidence of malformations as well as a raised number of intrauterine deaths and significant growth retardation as compared to the control animals. At the same time we found a clear dose-effect relation. The malformations were localize to the facial skeleton, the CNS, the eyes and lungs.