dangers of being a child of an alcoholic. Although research on this issue has relatively just started, concern for these unfortunate children has been documented as far back to the time of Aristotle (Jacob and Seilhamer 168). The gin epidemic in England during the 1700's sparked concern due to "high infant morbidity and mortality" (Jacob and Seilhamer). Problems associated with being the child of an alcoholic regained national attention in the past 25 years with the formation of such groups as the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, and programs for treatment and prevention such as Al-Ateen (Jacob and Seilhamer 168). The amount of attention that is paid to studying and trying to help children of alcoholics indicates how much of a problem it is. Lindy Boggs, former Congresswoman and chairperson of the Task Force of Crisis Intervention once remarked, "Alcohol abuse seemed to be connected to and exacerbate, so many problems that American families and their children face" ("Alcohol Abuse and its Implications for Families").
             Although this paper will discuss the many family issues that accompany being a relative of an alcoholic, the main focus will be on the children of alcoholics. Children of alcoholics are important to observe and study because they are, in most cases, the innocent victims of parental alcohol abuse. Sara Markowitz and Michael Grossman articulate the importance of parental alcohol abuse by stating, "Alcohol use and abuse is an important research topic because of the significant costs alcohol abuse imposes on individual users, their families, and society as a whole" (309).
             Being born to a mother who is an alcoholic is a struggle from conception. Some of the outcomes that can occur from this type of pregnancy are "spontaneous abortion, still birth" and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Windel 30). The latter is a term that refers to "birth defects common to children whose mothers were ...