The effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on umbilical cord length in fetal rats

Umbilical cord length has been considered a reliable indicator of fetal movement. In this study, the effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on umbilical cord length was examined in rats. Pregnant rats were intubated with either 0 or 60 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride daily from gestation day (GD) 14-21. Fetuses were removed via Caesarean section on GD 21 and umbilical cord length, placental weight and fetal body weight were measured. Fetuses exposed to cocaine in utero had significantly shorter umbilical cords than intubated controls, although there were no differences in placental or fetal body weights. These data suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure suppresses fetal movement, which could contribute to some of the long-term effects observed in cocaine-exposed offspring.