Introduction:

ethanol is a teratogenic agent and its excessive consumption represents a major worldwide health problem.

Objective:

to demonstrate the protective role of folic acid on the Central Nervous System and craniofacial dimensions in a biomodel of prenatal alcohol intoxication in Wistar rats.

Methods:

an experimental study with offspring of three groups of pregnant rats: without alcohol intoxication; with 5 ml of 40 % ethanol during gestation and with 5 ml of 40 % ethanol plus 200 µg/day of folic acid. The presence of meningocele, encephalocele and microcephaly was evaluated in the offspring and the craniofacial dimensions were measured. The comparison of proportions for independent samples, the Kruskal-Wallis test and a statistically significant risk association was estimated for an Odds-Ratio confidence interval not containing the unit.

Results:

supplementation with folic acid in pregnant rats with alcohol intoxication prevented the onset of encephalocele of the offspring, reduce the microcephaly, diminution of the biparietal diameter and the distance between the eyeballs, however the damage of the Central Nervous System could not completely avoided, and not prevent the reduction of the anteroposterior diameter or the nasal-ear pore distance.

Conclusion:

the biomodel demonstrated the toxic effect of ethanol and the protection of folic acid on the Central Nervous System and some craniofacial dimensions of the offspring. A higher dose of folic acid, than the one used in the research, could be recommended to achieve a better protection of the offspring.

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