Ethanol and parturition: a role for prostaglandins

A common pattern of birth defects was reported in children born to alcoholic women over 20 years ago. Shortly thereafter the constellation of defects became known as the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and reports from around the world served to acknowledge the pervasiveness of the disorder. Simultaneously with the clinical reports, animal models were developed to characterize the full spectrum of the teratogenic effects of ethanol. Not only did these animal models serve to define the actions of ethanol on fetal growth and development at the molecular pharmacological, neuroanatomical, and behavioral level, but unintentionally, they have resulted in renewed scientific interest in the effects of ethanol on pregnancy and parturition itself. The purpose of this review is twofold. First we will consolidate and summarize data from both clinical and basic research that pertains to ethanol and parturition. These data will demonstrate that ethanol consumption during pregnancy results in both delayed as well as premature delivery depending upon the pattern of consumption and timing of exposure. With these data as a background, the second objective will be to present a theoretical case for prostaglandins as possible mediators of ethanol-induced effects on the onset of parturition.