The guidance replaces existing advice which recommends that pregnant women or women trying to conceive should not drink more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week, and should avoid getting drunk. The Department said the new guidance was not based on new scientific evidence but was needed to help ensure that women did not underestimate the risks to their baby.

This message to avoid alcohol completely in pregnancy and when trying for a baby has been a long time coming. In January 2000, research from Queen’s University claimed that the Department of Health (who at that point in time recommended that pregnant women could drink four units of alcohol a week) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (who said that seven units of alcohol a week was not harmful) were offering unsound and dangerous advice.

The study showed that even a tiny amount of alcohol (4 glasses of wine a week) can affect an unborn baby’s brain and central nervous system. Scientists concluded that women who drink throughout their pregnancy will produce children with shorter attention spans, and their children will also find it more difficult to do well at school. At that time, Britain was the only developed country where pregnant women were officially told that they could drink.

The message is simple: avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive.

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