Alcohol in pregnancy: BMA urges rethink

The British Medical Association has called for clearer guidance on drinking alcohol during pregnancy as the row over the issue rumbles on.

It follows the recent warning by the Department of Health that alcohol should be avoided by mothers-to-be or those trying to conceive or limited to no more than one to two units once or twice a week.

The BMA said: "The new advice from the English government has been disputed by some medical experts and the BMA is now calling for clear, evidence-based guidelines on alcohol consumption during pregnancy and for women who are planning a pregnancy."

The organisation said the Government's guidelines are unclear as individuals "may not clearly understand how many units correspond to what they are drinking."

The BMA continued: "The report states that evidence is continuing to emerge on the effects of low or moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and until there is clarification the only message is that it is not safe to drink any alcohol during pregnancy or when planning a pregnancy."

The National Organisation on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome has said over 6,000 children are born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) each year in Britain which can result in a range of problems, including physical, mental and behavioural.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, Head of BMA Science and Ethics, added: "It's important that women who drank alcohol before realising they were pregnant do not panic. But pregnant women should try to reduce their alcohol intake, or better still give up completely."

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