Aspirin reduces alcohol-induced prenatal mortality and malformations in mice.

Oral alcohol administration (5.8 g/kg) on gestation day 10 resulted in an increase in both prenatal mortality and birth defects as well as decreased fetal weight in C57BL/6J mice. Aspirin pretreatment (150 mg/kg subcutaneously) significantly reduced the number of malformed pups and prevented the increase in prenatal mortality produced by alcohol. The mechanism of action remains to be elucidated.