In rat pups exposed to ethanol via intubation throughout all stages of pregnancy and during the early postnatal period, the overall volume of the cerebellum and Purkinje cell (PC) numbers were reduced (213). Others have identified the third trimester equivalent as a period of particular vulnerability for PCs (214). PC density is reduced in PND 10 rat offspring exposed to ethanol (gestational intubation) and the ultrastructure of this neural population is modified, indicating a delay in cellular development (215). The widely reported damage to the cerebellum has observable, functional consequences on motor-related behaviors.
