Suckling deficits in rat pups exposed to alcohol in utero

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Abstract
With the aid of a pair-feeding procedure, two groups of pregnant Long-Evans rats were fed a liquid diet containing 35% or 0% ethanolderived calories during days 6–20 of gestation. A third group was allowed free access to standard lab chow and water throughout pregnancy. At 6–7 or 9–10 days of age, suckling performance by male and female offspring representing the three prenatal treatment groups was examined. The test stimulus was a 6–10-day postparturient, anesthetized dam in which milk letdown was prevented. Compared to both pair-fed and lab chow controls, alcohol-exposed animals exerted a lower maximum suckling pressure, spent less time suckling during the test session, and displayed an altered suckling pattern. These data are consistent with existing clinical and experimental evidence documenting sucking deficits following prenatal alcohol exposure and are discussed in terms of prenatal alcohol-induced CNS impairment.