Drinking during pregnancy can lead to generations of alcoholism, according to a study conducted by Binghamton University. The researchers on the study conducted tests on rats to learn the effects of alcohol on fetuses and following generations.

The researchers gave pregnant rats alcohol four days in a row at gestational days 17-20. The amount of alcohol given was equivalent to one glass of wine, and the gestational timing is equivalent to the second trimester of pregnancy in humans. After the rats gave birth, their offspring were tested of alcohol sensitive by researchers injecting a high-alcohol dose into their bodies and then measuring how long it took for them to become sober. They found that if the mothers drank during pregnancy, it increased the likelihood of alcoholism in the offspring and then in the following generations.

This is the first study to analyze generational effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The researchers will continue their research thanks to a grant by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.