Synopsis
About 25 of every 1,000 children born to alcoholic women have fetal alcohol syndrome. This is the first annotated bibliography that documents research into the effects of alcoholism on the developing fetus. This valuable reference contains abstracts from original scientific articles and reviews dealing with fetal alcohol exposure and its implications for public health policy. Topics covered include: maternal characteristics that may contribute to alcohol's impact on the developing fetus; the role of the father as a transmitting agent in these effects; biological and pharmacological mechanisms responsible for alcohol's effects in utero; and recent attempts to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related defects. Defects resulting from fetal alcohol syndrome are: pre- and postnatal growth retardation, physical anomalies of the face and vital organs, and central nervous system dysfunctions including hyperactivity and mental retardation. All entries are arranged alphabetically by topic for easy reference.