CHARACTERISTICS AND CONSEQUENCES OF FREE-FEEDING ETHANOL INGESTION DURING THE FIRST 2 POSTNATAL WEEKS OF THE RAT

The present experiment used a free-feeding technique devised by Hall t o compare ingestion of ethanol end water during postnatal days 3 to 12 . More intake of ethanol than water was observed, subject to reasonabl y consistent individual differences in ethanol intake unrelated to bod y weight or general fluid intake. Relative to low ethanol consumers, p ups that ingested higher quantities of ethanol showed less ''place'' a version for stimuli associated with ethanol ingestion. High ethanol co nsumers did not, however, show an absolute conditioned place preferenc e relative to water-only controls, and they exhibited a conditioned av ersion to the odor of ethanol. These results indicate that ethanol int ake during the first two postnatal weeks is modulated by the early occ urrence of individual differences and a disposition to drink more etha nol than water, but the reinforcement effects of ethanol at this age a re unclear.