Fetal survival and neonatal growth with intramuscular injections of folate during gestation in the rat

Abstract

Folic acid (2.0 mg/ml) was injected subcutaneously to rat dams beginning on day 2 after mating (day 0 = day of sperm in vaginal smear). At parturition litter size per dam and the weight of fetuses were determined. Pups were thereafter equalized among the two groups (n=16 each) and assigned to four dams in each group (n=4 pups per dam). They were weighed every 5 days until day 20. On day 20 pups were killed, dried, and the crude protein levels of carcasses assessed using the Kjeldhal's method. Litter size (7) and weight (6.21) of pups from treated dams were not significantly different from those of control (6.4 and 5.9 respectively,