Foundin L. Alcohol-related birth defects – The past, present, and future. Alcohol Research & Health

devoted a full issue to the topic of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD). This introductory article provides readers with information on how the field has advanced since then. In addition to tracing the development of the terminology used in the field, it describes the difficulties involved in determining the true prevalence of FAS and ARBD; the mechanisms that may play a role in alcohol-derived fetal injuries; approaches to preventing drinking during pregnancy; and strategies for assisting people who have been born with FAS and ARBD. KEY WORDS: Fetal alcohol effects; fetal alcohol syndrome; birth defects; alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder; diagnostic criteria; risk factors; AODR (alcohol- or other drug-related) biological markers; targeted prevention; warning label In 1994 Alcohol Health & Research World (now titled Alcohol Research & Health) last devoted a full issue to the topic of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) (see Volume 18, Num ber 1, 1994). Selected by the National Association of Government Commun icators as first prize in the technical publications category, that issue of the journal provided an excellent overview of the existing knowledge on alcohol-derived prenatal injury and still remains a valuable resource for readers. Since the publication of that issue, however, research in the ARBD field has advanced significantly. This current issue of Alcohol Research & Health presents a selection of these new, important findings. In the interval between the two pub lications on ARBD, the United States Congress directed the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to prepare a comprehensive report on FAS. In response, NIAA