title: Maternal alcohol and neonatal health.
abstract: The disappearance of alcohol from blood following a single dose is a function of age, but by the time the animals are 90 days old the results are consistent from animal to animal. A single dose given to a pregnant female is distributed between fetus and maternal tissues and fluids, with a portion of the alcohol trapped in the amniotic fluid. Kittens born to mothers receiving alcohol during the last 2 weeks of pregnancy demonstrate hyperactivity, small size with unimpaired growth rate, and slow maturation of the righting reflex. It would require more experimentation to decide whether these changes are due to alcohol withdrawal or to toxic effects of the alcohol per se.
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002415:Cats; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000139:chemically induced; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol