This standard-setting work proposes the adoption of a new name and a new definition for this tragic disorder. Ernest Abel maintains that only alcohol abuse – not light or moderate drinking – is the necessary cause of alcohol-related birth defects. Fetal Alcohol Abuse Syndrome demonstrates how alcohol abuse during pregnancy can result in spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and preterm birth. Abel also examines other dysfunctions associated with alcohol abuse, such as – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – cerebral palsy – sleep disorders – motor dysfunction – mental retardation – and autism.