Recent attention to methanol (MeOH) as a potential alternative fuel prompted an evaluation of the chemical's effects during very early pregnancy. Rats were dosed by gavage during Days 1-8 of pregnancy at 0, 1.6, 2.4 or 3.2 g MeOH/kg/day. Groups of animals were killed on Days 9, 11 or 20 of pregnancy, and maternal, embryonic, or fetal parameters were assessed, depending on the stage of pregnancy. The decidual cell response (DCR) technique was also applied to rats treated with MeOH during pseudopregnancy. (Copyright (c) 1993 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd.).