Ethanol is a teratogen that disrupts normal development. The use of animal models to study how ethanol affects the development of offspring in animal models can be traced back to the late 1970s, when several groups began to study ethanol’s effects on the development of laboratory rats. How this agent affects the development of the brain and body remains a subject of intense investigation, and it is worthwhile to appreciate some of the guiding principles that drive this field of investigation, particularly as they relate to the choice of animal model to be used. The choice of animal to be used can be critical, as genetic susceptibility can play a major role in determining ethanol’s effects. For instance, in some species any teratogenic effects may be induced with relatively low doses, while other species may be more impervious to the effects of ethanol. Second, one has to appreciate that the developmental stage of the organism at the time of exposure can play a significant role in how ethanol disrupts development. There are critical periods of in utero growth and development
