In order to provide neonate rodents pups ethanol during the third trimester equivalent, pups can be reared artificially though a method colloquially known as “pup-in-the-cup” [see Ref. (25) for a review]. In this procedure, the pup receives intragastric ethanol, or a control solution while being maintained in a warm cup filled with nesting material in an effort to mimic the cage environment and maternal interaction early in life (108, 109). Although this method can be used to reliably administer known amounts of food and ethanol, it is invasive, expensive, and isolates each pup, removing many of the social factors that are present during normal neonatal development (i.e., presence of littermates, maternal grooming, etc.).
