Teratogenic effects of calcium salts on chick embryos.

This investigation began as an attempt to protect chick embryos from the teratogenic effects of hypoxia by means of exogenously applied calcium pantothenate. The attempt was not only a failure, but it appeared that the compound alone was highly teratogenic. Since it was disturbing to consider that a vitamin, in low dosage, was teratogenic, the phenomenon was studied further by injecting equivalent concentrations of other calcium salts into the embryo. It quickly became apparent that very small quantities of calcium chloride solution injected into either the subgerminal area of the yolk sac or the allantois also produced pronounced abnormalities.