While moderate alcohol consumption by adults has proven health benefits (French and Zavala, 2007; Gunzerath et al., 2004), excessive alcohol consumption has numerous detrimental effects, making it the 3rd leading cause of the global burden of injury and disease (Lim et al., 2012). Moreover, even moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy is known to cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), collectively the largest preventable set of birth defects (May et al., 2009; Riley et al., 2011). FASDs are characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth restriction, craniofacial dysmorphology, and structural/functional abnormalities of the central nervous system (CNS) (Hoyme et al., 2005). The severity of the defects depends on pregnant mothers’ alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) drinking patterns and doses. For example, many women keep drinking until they realize they are pregnant (4-6 weeks), and some of them quit or decrease their alcohol use only by mid-pregnancy (Day et al., 1989; Floyd et al., 2005; Floyd et al., 2009) therefore many fetuses are exposed to EtOH during early stages of pregnancy. EtOH readily crosses the placenta; consequently, peak fetal blood EtOH levels are similar to
