New Literature on Fetal Alcohol Exposure and Effects

Spontaneous abortion, a pattern of defects labeled fetal alcohol syndrome, and more subtle behavioral disturbances that occur in the absence of observable physical anomalies are some of the damaging effects of alcohol, now recognized as one of the leading known causes of birth defects in the western world. So grave are the apparent consequences of drinking alcohol during pregnancy that a new U.S. law requires warning labels to appear on all alcoholic beverages. This label represents the culmination of numerous clinical and experimental studies conducted over the last 15 years. Prompted by an abundance of new information in the area of fetal alcohol exposure, this second bibliography on the subject to be published by Greenwood Press supplements Abel's first volume that contained 3,000 citations and included literature on the subject published between 1973 (the year in which fetal alcohol syndrome was first reported) and 1984. The present volume, covering the years 1983 to 1988 inclusive contains 1,818 entries and adds some important new references for the years 1983 and 1984. In number, breadth, and completeness, the citations contained here go beyond current data bases.

Entries are arranged alphabetically by author and in the case of multiple citations by author, the citations are listed chronologically for that author. Where an author has had 2 or more publications in a year, the citations for that year are listed alphabetically by title. Citations are also listed according to the number of authors in a manner that provides easy access to the information. Each item has been numbered consecutively and is referred to by number in the Subject Index which has been compiled not only on the basis of title, but also based on the information contained in the reference. Abel's introduction serves as a concise, fact-filled overview of this important and timely subject. Students and scholars in the medical field, as well as alcohol counselors and others dealing with pregnancy or the affected children will find this resource invaluable.