Pregnant rats that ingest alcohol give birth to offspring that are attracted to that substance, according to a new study from the State University of New York.

Scientists have already shown that for humans, the best predictor of teen and adult alcoholism is having a mother who drank during pregnancy.

The theory of the new study is that mammals can 'learn' that alcohol is something good even in utero, according to Professor Steven Youngentob. He and his colleagues point out that the senses are among the first systems to develop. A fetus may "learn" by smell and sight what to eat and drink according to what its mother ingests.

"All that information gets transmitted to the fetus during gestation or lactation," Dr. Youngentob explained. He believes this adaptation probably works in humans as well as rats.

If a young rat was not exposed to alcohol by adulthood, it lost its attraction. This study appears in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

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Labels: alcohol_abuse, influences, mothers