Maternal ethanol consumption and hyperactivity in cross-fostered offspring

Both cross-fostered and natural-mother raised male offspring whose dams had received 8.5 g/kg/day of ethanol by intubation during the entire gestational period exhibited significantly increased locomotor activity at 2 months of age, which lends support to the hypothesis that the direct effect of alcohol on the fetus through placental transmission is the cause of increased activity or hyperactivity in offspring.

Abstract

Both cross-fostered and natural-mother raised male offspring whose dams had received 8.5 g/kg/day of ethanol by intubation during the entire gestational period exhibited significantly increased locomotor activity at 2 months of age, as compared with equivalent groups whose mothers received saline intubation during that period. Weight differences were excluded as a causal factor. This lends support to the hypothesis that the direct effect of alcohol on the fetus through placental transmission is the cause of increased activity or hyperactivity in offspring. The hypotheses of genetic transmission and maternal interaction effects received no support.