Offspring survival, development, and operant performance following maternal ethanol consumption

Abstract

Gravid Sprague-Dawley-derived rats received 35-40% of their total calories in alcohol during pregnancy or pregnancy and the 23-day nursing period. Ethanol was administered both as the sole fluid source in a .1% saccharin solution and by twice daily subcutaneous injections. Two gravid control groups were matched for caloric and fluid intake to the experimental groups and received injections of the saline vehicle. The offspring were monitored from birth to adulthood on a variety of vital, developmental, and operant measures. Littermates of the behavioral offspring were sacrificed and necropsied at 1 and 12 months of age and the major organs examined for pathology. Differences between alcohol and control groups were found for maternal weight gain, length of gestation, number of neonatal deaths, growth retardation of offspring to postnatal Day 72, date of eye opening, distance traversed on Day 15, contingent performance in the 1st week on continuous reinforcement, fixed ratio, and timing appetitive schedules, and on number of shock initiations and ability to discriminate contingencies on punishment schedules. No gross abnormalities were observed in the major organs at necropsy.